Strong Tower
by DiscoUnicorn
Summary: Uhura's and Spock's daughter finds herself struggling with a life outside of Vulcan culture.
1. Ordinary World

**_I don't own anything related to Star Trek. This applies to all following chapters. That is, in case I forget to put a disclaimer on them._**

Deep brown eyes stared blankly at the older man sitting at the table. The girl ran an irritated hand through her chin length black hair and moved it so that it covered her annoyingly pointed ears. She moved to the window and gazed out with a look of determination as she heard the sound of a vehicle that she could not yet see. She fought back a smile when she saw a tall boy walking towards the house. Her eyes darted to the right as the white transport quickly approached. She flattened the jacket of her attire and turned to the man watching her from the table. She lifted her chin.

"Grandfather, the shuttlecraft is approaching." There was a strange feeling in the bottom of her stomach that she had not felt since she was a child first going to school. She approached the man at the table. "The last fourteen years of my life have been pleasurable in your presence. I express my gratitude with much respect."

The man stood and inclined his head slightly. He lifted his hand in the proper salute. "Live long and prosper, Hazina."

The girl nodded and copied his movements. "And you, Grandfather Sarek, live long and prosper." She gave him a lingering look, an obvious side effect of her more human genes. She moved to the back of the house quickly. Her eyes darted between the two children sitting on the bed with their legs crossed staring into one another's eyes. It was not strange for her to walk into such moments of intellectual intimacy between the two; it was how they strengthened the already ridiculously strong bond between them.

It was her brother who first turned to her with eyes that were more like her grandfather's than anyone else. He lifted his chin. "In light of your departure, Shi'Kahr has moved her things into your room. You do find this logical."

For a fifteen year old, he talked so much like her grandfather that she wanted to examine his brain. The girl on the bed turned to look at her behind a mat of straight black hair that fell to her shoulders. She lifted her hands and pulled the hair back with a clip. She stood and walked to her older sister. While she and her brother were twins, she was more human than he. He was better at handling his emotions and thinking with clear logic; he had followed every Vulcan tradition, aside from the bonding. They looked as Vulcan as their father. Shi'Kahr inhaled deeply and wrapped her sister in a tight hug.

"Solin has taken much of my emotions because I find them unbearable at times. The mental bond he and I share is amazing. I think I got all the emotion out of our birth." The girl smiled. "I will miss you, ko-kai." She tightened her hold around Hazina's waist.

The older girl nodded. "You will have the same choice in only two years, Vakh."

Shi'Kahr laughed and pulled away from her sister. She was the only person that called her such a term of endearment. Although they spoke fluent Vulcan and Romulan, they preferred to speak in a combination of Vulcan and English that their grandfather referred to as "illogical" but picked up because he found it "logical to understand them quicker." She pressed a warm kiss into her sister's cheek. The slight contrast in their skin tones caught the younger girl off guard for several seconds. While she and her brother would be described as the color of cinnamon sticks, their older sister's skin was the color of honey being held towards the sun. She ran a finger over her sister's cheek before moving back to the bed. "Live long and prosper." The twins had lifted their hands and spoke at the same time.

She copied their movements and went into her room one last time. As she gathered her bags, she heard her grandfather leaving through the front door. She stacked her three suitcases neatly and pulled them through the house with ease. Her brown eyes gave her siblings, who had gone back to their meditation, a last look. She stood in front of the door gazing at the only Vulcan that wasn't her grandfather she would have ever called a friend, if he would have allowed it. His short black hair was cut in the traditional Vulcan style. He bowed to her slightly and bid her farewell. She closed her eyes and inclined her head slightly. After bowing to her grandfather, she stepped onto the vehicle with heaviness about her shoulders. She had not left Vulcan since she was three years old. She had made her intentions of attending Starfleet known well before she was even selected to enter the Vulcan Academy of Science.

She, much like her father, was fascinated with learning as much as possible outside the walls she had been trapped in for the past fourteen years of her life. Trapped? Not really. It was illogical to consider herself trapped when her parents always gave them the chance to leave with them when they visited. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pink lace handkerchief. Her father had given it to her for her fifth birthday. She clutched it in her hand and fought the logic that doing something so trivial would not bring her comfort. Her eyes fluttered closed as the shuttle began to pull away. She could not bear to see her grandfather again.

Much like her life until her actually moving away, the trip to Earth was uneventful. Hazina easily maneuvered her bags through the thick crowd of people milling about the star base. She moved towards the nearest tunnel that led to a line of shuttlecrafts. After little calculation and much reservation, she stepped onto the second shuttlecraft. A boy that looked to be her age watched her with narrowed eyes. Was he trying to calculate how she was able to carry bags that looked to weigh over half of what she did? It was quite simple: she was stronger than most humans because of her Vulcan blood. She glanced at him once before staring straight ahead.

After handing her papers to a woman with short blond hair and gray eyes, she followed her aboard the larger shuttle. She motioned Hazina into a seat between a pale blue Bolian girl with a bald head and a dark skinned girl with her hair cut in a style she recognized as an afro, which popular in the twentieth century. She sat down and stared straight ahead as she fastened her seat belt.

"I'm Tria Haro of Bolarus. It is pleasant to meet you." She extended a blue hand.

Hazina stared at her hand, but simply inclined her head. "Hazina of Vulcan."

"Your name is of Swahili origin?" The dark girl sitting beside her leaned forward and stared at her. Her hazel eyes searched Hazina's face with much scrutiny. "You don't look Vulcan. Either way, I'm Aziza Umbha. Is this your first year?"

"My mother's maiden tongue is Swahili, and, yes, this is my first year." Hazina looked at the girl sitting next to her.

"And I thought you would be half Vulcan and half Betazed! I'm a freshman too." The Bolian girl nudged Hazina with her elbow.

The dark girl on her right gave a soft laugh. "This is my second year. My roommate finished up last year. Maybe we can go to the administrative office and get you in the room with me. I know a little about Vulcans."

Her eyebrows were hidden behind her ebony bangs as she replied, "that is acceptable."

"You are hot!" The Bolian girl moved over slightly. "I mean your body temperature."

"She is Vulcan." Aziza nodded thoughtfully.

"My body temperature is one hundred point two degrees. This is normal." Hazina looked forward again. While she hated to be impolite, she could not resist the urge to ignore the questions the blue girl put to her. When the shuttle stopped, which time she had calculated as soon as she had shut out the outside noise, she stood and was the first person from the shuttle. She held her bags in her arms until she was able to stack them neatly. Then, to the wondrous eyes of the people around her, she placed the luggage on the ground and rolled it forward. Aziza appeared next to her pulling a single suitcase behind her. She smiled at Hazina and motioned towards a small building. With an incline of her head, Hazina followed her in that direction.

It took 36.39 minutes for Aziza to talk the woman at the housing window into changing the register and put Hazina in the room with her. She convinced the woman that she and Hazina had become fast friends and she wanted to look after her. The woman had nodded and said interspecies friendships were celebrated and because her roommate had been a human girl, it would be reasonable for her to make the changes. Hazina found the woman's logic acceptable but slightly flawed.

She placed each of her suitcases on the bed and opened them slowly. She moved her folded items of clothing from the suitcases to the provided dressers neatly. She put each suitcase within the other until there was only the big suitcase. She pushed it underneath the bed. After looking at the two pairs of shoes she brought with her, she suddenly felt like she wanted a new pair. She knew that it was illogical of her to want another pair of shoes when she already had one for walking and one for dressing. She ran a hand over her hair. Was she nervous? She pushed the feeling into the back of her mind and went to take a shower as soon as Aziza appeared from within their shared bathroom with fresh clothing on.

While it had taken her ten point thirteen minutes to dress, Hazina found that it was unsettling that Aziza took nearly exactly four times as long dressing. Standing beside her bed dressed in a pale yellow shirt and a white skirt that was two inches above her knees, Hazina stared at the two pairs of shoes before her with a blank expression. Was she going to be forced to wear her black boots or her white gym shoes? She slipped her feet into the gym shoes and ran her fingers through her hair, which was starting to curl; moisture and water had that effect on her hair.

They walked to the mess hall in silence. Aziza would occasionally point out a building and explain its purpose, but she did not say more than she deemed necessary. Hazina appeared to be in deep thought. She looked up suddenly and gazed at a group of people standing in front of the doors making a ruckus. One of the girl stared at her with a smirk before leaning into their group and saying something. They burst into laughter and looked at her. It was the first time in her life that someone had said something rude about her hair instead of her heritage. Hazina found the insult highly illogical and not worth refuting. She ignored the girl smirking at her as she and Aziza went inside.

"People here on Earth are rude, Hazina. You dealt with that well." Aziza picked up a bowl of spaghetti, sliced Italian bread, and a bottle of water before heading to an empty table.

Hazina, who grew up a vegetarian because of her grandfather, had chosen to try something new. She gazed down at the bread with the red sauce and cheese on it with a curious expression. Aziza called it pizza before she ate a spoonful of spaghetti. Aha! Hazina cut a piece and put it into her mouth with her fork. A small frown disrupted her serene expression. Her mouth was assaulted by the unusual tastes. She swallowed before pushing the plate away. "This food is not for nutritional need. It has an illogical amount of triglycerides and spices."

"It's something you eat for fun. Go get something else." Aziza bit into her bread.

Hazina resolved herself to get a vegetable wrap and a bowl of bean soup. She tested each food before deciding they were good enough to eat. Her eyes moved from the face of each represented species in the crowd. She calculated that the human alien ratio was not less that 64.87% to 36.13 %. She placed her cup of tea on the table and looked at the girl sitting across from her watching her with raised eyebrows.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I calculated the human to alien ratio and then I calculated the ratios of--"

"I knew it! When you told us your body temperature I instantly thought that you were a walking calculator."

She blinked. "Calculations are more interesting than idle thoughts."

"Not always." Aziza laughed and stood.

She paid apt attention to the mini lesson her new roommate was giving her on Earth customs. When something heavy crashed into her, she barely moved. Instead, she looked down to find a boy with short brown hair and blue eyes rubbing his shoulder and muttering a string of curse words. He stood suddenly and wandered back to the group they had passed earlier. She heard him call her a piece of iron. One of the girls had lifted his sleeved and pointed out that he was already bruising.

Aziza clutched her stomach as she burst into laughter. While Hazina was positive the girl had not heard what the boy had said, she found her laughter refreshing and slightly calming. Her thoughts had been stopped when the boy had slammed into her. She wrapped her hand around her wrist behind her back. Aziza continued in that manner until they were inside their room again. She collapsed on her bed and fanned herself with her hand. Tears danced on the edge of her eyelids.

"I can't wait to see you in defense classes!" Aziza laughed as she rolled over onto her side.

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I don't have a beta, but I comb through these chapters several times before I post them. If there's something wrong just ignore it. Oh, and this story is already over halfway complete.


	2. Good Intentions

Don't own Star Trek. : )

First day of classes. Hazina sat at the front of the class staring at the naked white wall with her thoughts rambling from the call she had received from her parents to the message Shi'Kahr had sent her about their current project. She clasped her hand on her lap and looked to the door when she heard footsteps approaching. She blinked at the pale woman that appeared in the door with her materials clutched in her arms. The woman's gray eyes darted to Hazina as she quickly dropped her things on the desk and turned on the console.

"You are nearly ten minutes early, cadet." The woman had a strong and clear voice.

Hazina sat straight in her seat. "I woke from sleep early, so I came to class." She could actually go two days without sleep and still manage to function at her current level.

The woman swept her blond hair over her shoulder and began to open up various files on the console. When she looked up, the girl had opened her book and began to read. She sighed rather loudly before trying to make sense of the jumble of papers on her desk. She jerked suddenly when she felt someone behind her. She swallowed and looked at the girl. "Y-yes, cadet?"

"I can put your papers in order for you in efficient time for you to properly set up your console and straighten your desk by the time the class begins." She took the papers the professor handed her and flipped through them quickly. While it took her less than two minutes to put the papers in the correct piles in consecutive stacks on the woman desk, Hazina found it only logical to decrease the clutter of the woman's desk by doing the same to all the papers, but placing them neatly beside her briefcase.

"Thank you." The woman extended her hand. When Hazina hesitated to shake it, she dropped it. She understood how some species did not like physical contact, but she had taken the girl to be human. "What's your name, cadet?"

"Hazina, Professor Woods."

"You don't have a last name?" The woman turned to her sharply when she said something in Vulcan she knew she could never reproduce. "I see."

"I am three quarters human." She moved back to her seat when she heard approaching footsteps. The professor nodded and pretended to be interested in her console. So, she was _that_ Vulcan girl.

The class went by smoothly with Hazina and a boy with curly brown competing to see which could ask and answer the most questions. While Hazina took no notice that there was a real competition, she found it would be irritating to leave the class with more questions than she'd had before she arrived. She took to studying her Klingon numbers and alphabets as she sat in the hall waiting for her next class to begin. She was due to take eighteen hours of courses that semester: introduction to Klingon language, Klingon history, engineering, human anatomy and physiology, basic defense strategies, and study of intergalactic policies. She looked at the PADDs for her engineering and intergalactic policies classes; she had read both of them already two years before in her grandfather's library. When she'd seen the booklists, he had sent her copies. She touched the button at the bottom of the page and, in a tone she found comfortable, began to practice her pronunciations.

She returned to her room to find Aziza sprawled on the bed with her face buried in her pillow. The soft snores coming from the girl told her that she was asleep. Hazina quietly moved about the room until she had everything she needed. In an attempt to not wake her roommate, she took her bag and left silently. Perhaps she could study someplace else. She sat in the library staring at the pictures flying across the screen before her. Her index finger touched one of the still frames; a tall Klingon woman appeared and began the scale for the Klingon vowels.

"Hello!" The boy that had bumped into her the day before dropped down into the seat beside her. He held his hand out to her but retracted it when she simply turned her head back to the screen. He cleared his throat and glanced around the room before lowering his head. "I want to ask you if you could tutor me in engineering."

"The first class was today. Unless you have failed the class once already, I find tutoring to be... a waste of time." She tilted her head and made a clicking sound in the back of her throat.

"I have failed the class twice, but I need to pass it to try and take the test. I want to be a pilot."

"Considering your fail ratio for engineering, I find that your ability to pilot may not be exemplary enough for a Federation ship." Her eyes moved with the pictures on the screen.

"I will pay you." He sighed rather loudly. "I apologize for bumping into you yesterday! My friend Amelia shoved me and I lost my footing."

"There are tutors for engineering in that department."

"Those are the same idiots that helped me the last two years. I listened to the conversation you had with Commander Mot. You understand this, and you put it in words that we were able to understand your side of the debate in class. Please."

Hazina looked down at her communicator. "Very well. We will work out a schedule once the course material becomes detailed." She flipped open her communicator to see Aziza rubbing her eyes.

"Hey, girl! We have to go get dinner before the mess hall closes. Or would you like to go to a diner?" Aziza's eyes darted to the boy sitting beside her friend.

"A diner will be fine. I have almost completed the video I am following. I will return in 18.23 minutes." She closed the communicator when Aziza laughed.

"Are you human?" The boy's voice would have made anyone else to jump, but Hazina simply turned in her seat. She knew that he had never left; his footsteps had not moved beyond the back of her chair.

"Partially." Her index finger tapped the blue button at the top of the screen so that the woman's voice filled her ears again.

Aziza had chosen for them to go to one of her favorite diners. Cadets hung out at the counter and in booths everywhere. A boy with shoulder length black hair winked at Hazina as she moved behind Aziza with fluidity. She stopped several feet away when the girl slid into one side of the booth. She got into the other side and began to look around; her mind automatically went to calculating people ratios. She looked at the expression the girl across from her wore; it was something akin to sympathy. Instead of questioning her on this, Hazina simply ignored it. She flipped open her communicator when it beeped. She had received a message from her sister. She read the note slowly and blinked when her lips moved slightly. She placed the communicator back into her pocket and clasped her hands on her lap. The diner was something straight out of one of those movies her sister liked to watch. While it still had proof of the current date, most of the furniture was replicas of twenty-first century things. She stared at the bright red couch beside the door. The color was beautiful.

"Would you like your hair that color? I can do it."

"My hair?" Hazina looked at the couch again. Although altering her hair color would do little to increase her physical attractiveness, she thought that having something so bright would be comforting. Comforting? She thought of the pink lace handkerchief she clutched whenever she rode long distances. Okay, her mother had told her to try something new; she would. She nodded to Aziza.

"Great! I'll do it when we leave."

They ate and talked about their backgrounds. Aziza was happy to finally meet someone other than herself that could speak Swahili. Although she wasn't from that province and her own language was French, her grandmother had been fluent in the language. By the time her grandmother had died when she was ten, Aziza found herself fluent in French and Swahili. Then she had had to learn the language of her parents' people when she was sent to a school for girls in the region. It was there that she got a book on Vulcans as a going away present.

Hazina sat in a chair staring at the picture of Aziza's sister on the wall. The picture flickered to that of a man then an older woman. She stiffened when she smelled the hair bleach the girl brought to her hair. She closed her eyes and began to meditate. It took exactly 40.21 minutes before Aziza deemed the situation as being accomplished. She stepped back and allowed Hazina to stand.

Her soft wavy hair shaped her face gently with random strands of red standing out here and there. Her bangs even had red streaks in them. Her gaze flickered to Aziza. Slowly, her lips stretched into a large smile. It was beautiful. Her face flushed slightly when she realized that her ears could be seen through her hair. She opened her mouth, but her logical side won out; she should not be ashamed of any part of herself. She picked up a black hairclip and lifter her hair away from her face. The soft angles of her face looked unfamiliar. Had she worn her hair in that fashion for so long that she had forgotten how she looked? She rubbed a dab of soft wax on her lips to soften them.

"We're going out Saturday night. You are a little bigger than I am. I'm five feet and four inches and weigh one hundred and five pounds." Aziza sat on her bed as Hazina began to clear out the mess they had made.

"Yes. I correctly predicted that I am five inches taller and twenty-five pounds more." Hazina stood and pushed the chair to the desk.

"You have curves. We wear the same size shoes!" Aziza clapped happily. Hazina could not understand how such a fact could elicit happiness from someone, but it had. Were having similar shoe sizes important? She looked at the size eight boots and sandals underneath her bed. Perhaps. Aziza placed a hand on Hazina's shoulder. "It means we can wear one another's shoes."

"That is not sanitary." Hazina stood in the middle of the room looking at the ceiling. She looked at the girl in front of her when she did not get a response. Had she offended her? "I did not mean to say that in an offensive manner."

"No, we just have to get you to act more human. Starting today, limit your use of the word 'logic' to five times a day. Other than that, you'll do fine. We also have to get you out more. I can see the emotions dance across your face sometimes. You have to learn how to deal with them. You're more human than Vulcan. It's okay to feel."

"That is logical. I did not go through the final ritual to purge my emotions. My younger brother is very much like our grandfather in that he masks his emotions perfectly."

"See! You have a chance to let yourself go. Come on. We're going shopping!" Aziza grabbed her bag and tried to push Hazina out the room. When she realized that she would never be able to move the girl she crossed her arms over her chest and gazed at her. "Move it."

Hazina did not see the significance of shopping, but as she stood at the shuttle stop beside a gloating Aziza, she realized she didn't care. If she could get herself to feel half as happy as Aziza looked, she would shop every day.


	3. Passion

Still don't own Star Trek.

Shopping was overwhelming. Hazina stood in the middle of a store surrounded by brightly colored dresses of different materials. Her brown eyes darted down to the bags she already held in her hands. Her mother had agreed to her spending a certain amount of credits, but she was nowhere near as much as her mother had allowed. In one bag she had a bottle of lotion, shampoo and conditioner, perfume, and body wash that each smelled like pomegranate. In the larger bag, she had a pair of black boots and a pair of black five inch heels. Her third bag held two dresses: one cherry red and one royal blue. Her eyes fell upon a strapless pale yellow dress that was the same length as the issued uniforms. There were bright yellow feathers hanging from the hem of the dress. She eased towards the dress and touched it with her index finger. The material was softer than she had calculated.

"Go try it on." Aziza appeared beside her in a green dress of the same fashion. The dress clung to her small frame. She looked pleasing.

"I have no plans of purchasing it." Hazina said pointedly.

"You can still try it on. Come on." Aziza flipped through the dresses and held each one against Hazina's frame until she seemed satisfied with the dress size. She put Hazina's bag in the small locker with her own and pulled her friend into the dressing room with her. Aziza pulled her dress off and had begun to redress when she noticed that Hazina was facing the wall away from her. "Hey, put the dress on."

"It is not proper to undress in front--"

"You don't have anything I haven't seen." Aziza rolled her eyes when the girl remained immobile. She sighed loudly and left the dressing room.

Hazina changed into the dress quickly and was about to pull the dress off when she saw how it looked on her. The door to the dressing room swung open just as she reached for the top of the dress. Aziza whistled and made her turn around. She gave her friend thumbs up and closed the door again. Hazina was slightly confused by the action, but she assumed it meant that Aziza agreed with how she looked in the dress. Although she did find that the dress lightened her skin and brought out the color in her hair, it was too revealing. She redressed quickly and handed the dress to the woman waiting outside the dressing room.

Aziza stood by the lockers holding her newly bought dress. Hazina walked to her with an expressionless face. Her eyes darted between the girl before her and the large hot dog walking around in the large corridor. She placed a hand on Aziza's shoulder as she moved towards the door. The darker girl followed her gaze. While she wanted to laugh, she took the time to explain to Hazina that it was actually a man in a costume. The girl stopped walking and looked at the man with fascination. She raised an eyebrow before continuing on her way. Aziza led her into a book store. Hazina's eyes slowly moved over each section until they fell upon the scientific research department. She put her bags next to Aziza's and moved to the back of the store. A woman wearing too much rose scented perfume stood several feet from her on the same aisle. Hazina could not fight the frown that broke the complacency of her face. She looked at the woman and was surprised to find it was Professor Woods. The woman had her blond hair in a sloppy ponytail at the base of her head, and she clutched three PADDs against her chest already.

"Hello, Hazina." Professor Woods's voice was always the same pitch.

"Good evening, professor." Hazina scanned the book titles. She was almost ashamed to admit it, but she had read all the books already. Her father had rather unlimited access to as much research as he wanted. He was the commander of the science division on the Starfleet's flagship. She turned to her professor with lifted eyebrows. "No, I've read these books already. I think I will look at the books they have on engineering. I may purchase something on Klingon as well."

"Have you read this one?" Professor Woods held up a PADD with a picture of an Andorian garden on the front of it.

"Although that book is in the incorrect section, yes, I have. My grandfather has it in his collection. Are you looking to explore botany?" Hazina clasped her hands behind her back.

"The gardens are very beautiful. I have to study them so that I won't plant something I am allergic to." The woman smiled. "I do not do very well with anything in the rose family."

Hazina nodded. "May I suggest the garden in chapter fourteen on page two hundred and thirty-six? It is composed of tulips, lavender, and a small pond with water lilies. It is easy to construct."

The woman looked somewhat embarrassed, which caused much confusion to Hazina, but she did not speak or allow it to show. Professor Woods placed the PADD on the shelf. "If I pay you, would you do this for me?"

"The authors estimate that the required time to create such a garden would take four weeks to complete."

"How much would you charge?" Professor Woods pressed her lips together.

"The garden can be completed in two weeks. My younger brother created one similar in nine days." Hazina looked at the floor. "I will work on your garden three hours each week day and five hours on Saturday. I predict that I will have to work an additional two hours the second Saturday in order to complete the project." She pulled a small notepad from her pocket and wrote down the amount of hours on each day and handed the paper to the woman.

"I will pay you eight hundred dollars: four hundred at the end of the first weeks and the remainder on the second Saturday. I will purchase these seeds and equipment as soon as I convince myself to leave this store. I will give you my address in class Monday. Excuse me." Professor Woods smiled and side stepped so that she could move to the next aisle.

"Sucking up to professors is a horrible way to get good grades." The humor could be heard in the voice that spoke the words.

With a raised eyebrow, Hazina looked up to find a male looking at her from the next aisle. His dark eyes shined with amusement as his lips stretched into a large smile that made his already attractive face even more pleasant. Hazina's lips parted slightly. "I have no intentions of using my arrangement with the professor as a means of obtaining grades other than what I deserve. It is expected that she also maintain--"

"I was joking." He burst into laughter.

Her eyes moved with him as he walked around the shelves to stand at the end of the aisle. Hazina inhaled quickly. He was of the reasonable height of six feet and two inches with a frame that she knew he worked hard to keep. He took measured steps towards her and stopped five feet away. Hazina stared at him. "Human humor still eludes me."

He extended his hand to her. "I am Kanshero Matazuma. I take Professor Woods's intergalactic policies with you." He lifted his eyebrow when she simply stared at his hand. He cleared his throat and looked into her eyes with furrowed eyebrows. His gaze fell upon her pointed ears.

"I am Hazina of Vulcan. I am aware of you taking that class with me. You sit in the third seat from the back on the east side of the classroom." She blinked when he smiled. "Is there something…wrong?"

"I've never met a Vulcan before." His voice was gentle.

"So I deduced. Well, Mr. Matazuma, I must conclude this conversation. My shopping partner is waiting for me. Goodbye." She lifted her hand in the traditional salute and walked away before he could reply.

By the time Hazina made it to the front of the store, which took 10.3 seconds, Aziza appeared to be dancing. She cocked her head towards the back of the store and smiled. "Who is that cute Japanese guy watching you?"

"Kanshero Matazuma. Are we returning to Starfleet?" Hazina picked up her bags and followed Aziza from the store.

"Are you kidding?!" Aziza's eyes darted between the long line of clothing and accessory stores. "We have lots more stores to visit. Then, we're going to get something to eat." Aziza led her into a store filled with earrings and hair accessories. She smirked when she saw the look on Hazina's face. "I knew you would love this place."

Three hours and eight minutes later, Hazina sat across from Aziza in an overcrowded food court. They did not order anything yet. Hazina lifted her index finger to her earlobe as she looked at the hole Aziza had gotten in her ear. Although she thought the jewelry was illogical, she did admit that it was prefect for her friend's facial structure. She lifted her communicator when the soft music from a Vulcan lyre floated into the air. Her sister had sent her a message. She read through it quickly. With a sigh, she replied to her sister's message then sent a message to the person Shi'Kahr had also mentioned.

"What is wrong?" Aziza sat forward.

"My sister was insulted by several of her peers at school. One of the males I finished with defended her." Hazina closed the communicator and looked at Aziza with a blank expression.

"That doesn't make you angry?" Aziza frowned.

"No, Kyleth is a very capable person, as is Shi'Kahr. She probably started crying." Hazina sighed slightly but in such a way that made it unnoticeable.

Her gaze fell upon the boy she had met earlier. He sat a table with five other boys motioning towards her. She could hear him telling them about her as he stood. A dark boy followed in his steps. Hazina looked at Aziza and quickly formulated a plan for leaving before they arrived. She excused herself to go to the bathroom. What she didn't expect, however, was the tall and solid form that stood less than two feet away. She bumped into him when she stood.

"My apologies, sir." Her eyebrows lifted at the amused expression he wore.

"No, I am sorry. It seems I was mistaken in standing directly in front of you. To think someone as slim as you can make me stumble." He laughed. "I'm Frederick."

"There is no need for you to apologize. I am Hazina. If you will excuse me…" She stopped and turned towards the familiar footsteps.

Kanshero smiled at her. His gazed flickered to the boy behind her. "Well done, Frederick."

Hazina turned to the boy with raised eyebrows. "You were a diversion."

"Sorry. I owed Matazuma for saving my butt a few times." The boy, a deep shade of chocolate, stood an inch taller than her with a very muscular frame.

After all the introductions were done, Aziza convinced the guys to sit with them. She could tell Hazina was annoyed by this when she gave her a lingering look. Hazina forced herself to answer all of the questions put towards her. Although she initially thought they would offer little to what she already knew, each of them surprised her by being completely different. This was surprising to Hazina, who had done studies on human groups.

She noted that Kanshero was a natural leader that took his mistakes and short comings in short strides. When he tried to touch her hand on the table and she had retracted her hands to her lap, he had simply shaken his head and chuckled. Frederick was an entirely different person; he watched every girl walking by with a look Hazina understood to be lust. The boy who was the color of dark chocolate and named Alphonse was quiet and reserved. He watched everyone at the table with curious eyes.

"I bet you're both studying to be communication officers." Frederick looked at them with a smile.

"You are incorrect." Hazina looked at him with indifference. "Aziza is focused in engineering. I am focused in science and intergalactic politics."

Alphonse's laughter was soft. "Perhaps Hazina will be your science commander and Aziza will man your ship, Kanshero."

"Perhaps not." Kanshero looked at Hazina with a small smile. "I think you're going to be an ambassador like your grandfather."

"Your grandfather was an ambsassador too, Matazuma." Frederick looked at Kanshero before turning to Hazina. "He was ambassador for Earth and Betazed."

"Thank you, Frederick." Kanshero rolled his eyes and forced a smile. "I want my own ship."

"Of course you do. Your father was the captain of the USS Persephone, a battle craft, for six years, three months, and two days before they were ambushed and marooned on a planet where over two thirds of the crew died. He was promoted to admiral five months later due to his being paralyzed and sustaining significant amnesia. You, Frederick, are son of the commanding engineer of that ship. Your mother lived." Hazina spoke evenly.

"To go on and marry my father and have his two final children." Kanshero smiled. Hazina did not know what type of smile it was he was offering. Sadness danced in his eyes as he stood. "It was pleasant talking to you beautiful ladies."

Hazina stood suddenly. She swallowed and looked him straight in the eyes. "I was also affected by the death of your father. He did great work in his research on the structure of Klingon battleships." She did not understand the look he gave her as he blinked wildly. He inhaled deeply and smiled before walking away.

Although Aziza had chosen to remain silent on the trip home, she could not stop herself from talking the moment the door to their quarters closed. Her hands formed into fists that she rested on her hips. She turned to her roommate, but simply shook her head as she went into the bathroom.

Hazina took the time to put her things away and compile her PADD for her Klingon history class. She pulled her hairclip away and felt the tension leave her neck when her hair fell softly against her skin. Why had Aziza acted so strangely when she had commended Kanshero on his father's accomplishments? She sat on the bed with her legs folded underneath her as she flipped through the notes from class. Perhaps she had broken some sort of Earth custom in saying such a thing. She waited for Aziza to appear from the bathroom. Her mouth opened, but she did not say anything. When she looked up, she found her roommate with straight black hair that fell an inch beyond her shoulders.

"Sorry." Aziza lifted her left hand, which held her former hair. "I like to wear wigs. You won't see me in another until winter time." She laughed as she moved to her closet.

"Did I break some custom when I spoke to Kanshero? I could tell his friends were uneasy and he looked slightly confused." She placed her PADD on the bed.

Her roommate began to brush her hair as she sat on the bed dressed in a black tank top and gray short sleeping pants. "On Earth, we find it taboo to talk of the dead in such a way. I know, you're Vulcan, but…"

"I understand." Hazina picked up her PADD again. She frowned slightly as she looked towards her roommate. "Why do you wear wigs?"

"They're easier than combing my hair." She pulled a pair of scissors from within her drawer and leaned into the mirror. Her eyes darted to her watching roommate. After taking a picture from her drawer she held it before Hazina. "Can you cut my hair like this?"

The picture flickered so that all angles of the woman's hair cut were shown. Hazina calculated the length of the woman's hair and made corrections to find the proper length for Aziza's head size. She looked at her roommate. "Yes."

Aziza sat down in the chair and smiled. "Let's get it over with then."

Hazina lifted the scissors and quickly cut the hair down into odd angles. She took the smaller scissors from Aziza and leaned forward with a thin black comb. Suddenly, she felt as if she was back on Vulcan trying to figure out the depth of a pool filled with a thick black liquid. While she and two other of the fifteen students had correctly produced the answer, she still found that being correct did not bring her as much satisfaction as actually doing the equation. Her gaze moved over Aziza's shortening hair; she enjoyed doing the equation and cutting the hair.


	4. Wunderkind

Don't own Star Trek.

Although Aziza made sure to color Hazina's hair whatever color she saw fit, she also made sure her roommate kept her own hair cut the same length. Hazina, on the other hand, had opted to letting her hair grow. She finished up Professor Wood's garden in eight days, and began to tutor Jamison James for their engineering class. She had to take all her notes and break them down as if she was teaching a five year old Vulcan, which may have been the equivalent of a fifteen year old human. Hazina enjoyed tutoring Jamison. Her greatest accomplishment over the last five months, however, had been her ability to avoid Kanshero Matazuma. When she had completed her final for intergalactic politics, she had glanced up to find him watching her with a smile. She had turned and walked out of the class.

The wind was bitter and cold against her face. Although she enjoyed her Vulcan heritage, Hazina found it to be a pain in such weather. She pulled a thick red scarf from her bag and wrapped it around her head and covered her face. Nothing of her body could be seen but her eyes. She walked towards the engineering building with her gloved hands shoved into her pockets. Surely, Aziza would have some form of sympathy for her and be done by the time she made it to her classroom. Hazina stood outside the door stiffly as she pulled the scarf from her head. Two girls walking down the hall dressed in red looked at her and laughed.

"May I ask what is funny?" The cold had irritated her slightly. She was almost annoyed to the point that she found herself unable to catalogue her thoughts.

"You have elf ears." The girl with the short ponytail laughed loudly. Her friend's giggles quickly followed.

Her memory was triggered; she recalled the two of them from the group that had insulted her in front of the mess hall. The redness in her face drained away when she saw the smirk the girl with the orange hair gave her. A feeling developed in the pit of her stomach. The temper she was notorious for came to the surface of her emotions. She narrowed her at the two of them. "It is rude and immature to insult someone's genetic dispositions."

The girl with the orange hair took several steps towards her. The boots she wore made soft clicking sounds on the waxed floor as a sudden crazed smile stretched her lips. "Sorry, Santa's helper." She laughed and reached to touch Hazina's ears.

Her hand wrapped around the girl's wrist tightly; she flipped her own wrist and had the girl on her back in a matter of seconds. "It is unwise for you to attempt physical contact."

The girl stood quickly. "I was joking, bitch!" She threw a punch, which Hazina quickly avoided, but she countered quickly with a kick that should have landed, but Hazina was slightly faster than she.

Hazina knocked her out with a simple pinch to her shoulder. She looked at the girl with the short ponytail. When the girl made no move to attack, she relaxed and stepped back until she was against the wall. She had just decided she would be better off waiting for Aziza in their quarters when the door to the classroom opened. Aziza stood there looking bewildered. Her gaze flickered from an annoyed Hazina to the unconscious girl on the floor. She gasped and quickly closed the door. She didn't even have to ask her friend what happened. She pulled her wool hat over her head in haste and urged the girl forward.

They sat in a café off campus staring at one another. While Aziza's eyes were filled with amusement and contentment, Hazina had a gaze of pure curiosity as she stared at her friend. She lifted the steaming cup to her mouth and gulped down two swallows. "There is chocolate in this."

A moment of dawning came over Aziza. She lifted Hazina's cup to her mouth. Sure enough, the woman at the desk had given her two steamed mocha cappuccinos instead of one and Hazina's black coffee. She gave her friend an apologetic smile and stood to go exchange the drink. When she returned, Hazina sat on the couch chewing on the fingernail of her index finger. Her eyes were locked on a lone figure crossing the street that was approaching the coffee shop. She took her drink from Aziza with a small smile. Her eyes darted to the person wearing the thick white coat. After pulling off his hat, he turned to her with a smile. She gasped and turned away quickly. A faint blush stained her cheeks as she lifted her cup to her mouth.

Kanshero walked over to the two of them with his hands in his pockets. He looked at Aziza then turned towards Hazina, who appeared to be engrossed in the darkness of her drink. "Hello, ladies." His voice was filled with merriment. He inhaled when her brown eyes met his. Holding her gaze, he sat down on the yellow couch near them. "Hazina, you have been avoiding me."

She could not lie. Although she was more human than Vulcan, she had been raised as if she were a pure blooded Vulcan. "I thought meeting you would be awkward after our last encounter."

"Oh. I was fine. People talk about my father all the time." He smiled at her.

She placed a gloved hand on his arm. "I'm sorry. I had forgotten that that wound would still be fresh." She nodded solemnly and looked at a horrified Aziza. "Is there something wrong?"

"You're acting weird. You just touched him." Aziza motioned to Hazina's hand still resting on Kanshero's arm.

"Sorry. Chocolate does not bode well with me." The warmth that spread from her stomach to her face blended in well with her already red cheeks. She easily pushed the emotion to the back of her thoughts as she contemplated which of he books she would take on her trip. She blinked and crossed her arms over her chest as she sat back in her seat. Her eyes remained on the table.

"How did your finals go?" Kanshero looked at Hazina hopefully.

"I completed each one with excellent proficiency." The soft chime of a girl singing in Vulcan pulled her attention from their conversation. Her thoughts strayed for a fraction of a second before she realized that it was her communicator. She really hated chocolate. She opened her communicator to find her mother waiting on the other end. She pressed the orange talk button. Warmth filled her when she saw her mother's smiling face. They greeted one another.

"How did you do on your exams and have you packed for your trip?" Her mother's voice was gentle but urging. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders as she leaned forward with a smile that crinkled the corner of her shining brown eyes. Save those laugh lines and random gray hairs, she still looked the same as she did when Hazina had first parted from her when she was three.

"I performed with proficiency, and yes, mother, I am prepared for my trip. How do you and father fair?" Hazina's eyes darted to Kanshero when he stood and looked over her shoulder. She frowned at him. "You are within an unacceptable proximity."

"Sorry. I just wanted to see the famous Commander Spock and his equally famous wife."

"Commander Uhura. Mother, this is Kanshero Matazuma. He is the son of--"

"I know. It is wonderful to meet you, Mr. Matazuma." Uhura laughed at the expression her daughter gave the boy leaning towards her. "Hazina, you seem off a little."

She frowned as Kanshero walked towards the counter. "Aziza gave me chocolate."

Uhura chuckled. "I'm sure it was a mistake. I wanted to tell you that we'll be docking for an entire two months, so your father and I chose to stay on Vulcan before we return to space. We will be back to spend an entire two weeks with you in January. I hope you have a wonderful trip, and we love you very much."

Hazina nodded. "Farewell, mother." She pressed the blue button on her communicator when her mother smiled and waved.

"Your mom is really nice." Aziza clutched her cup in her hands. Her dark eyes fell upon the thick coat her friend was bundled in. "Why don't you take off your coat?"

"The temperature of this establishment is eighty-six degrees. I feel more comfortable in my coat." Hazina sipped her drink. She watched as Kanshero walked back to them followed by a fuming Frederick.

"What's wrong with him?" Aziza sat up in her seat and crossed her legs. Frederick's eyes followed her movement.

"He is angry because our brother has sided with our sister and his mother in the decision to visit his grandparents." Kanshero placed his cup on the table and bit into his muffin to hide his grin.

"I hate Africa! It's hot and there's nothing to do. We went there four years ago. It was the worst summer of my life."

"I'm from Africa. It is not unpleasant."

"Vulcan is hotter than Africa." Hazina nodded as she lifted her cup. Vulcan was also more interesting than Earth, but she did not want to point out something so insulting. She blinked and looked at the carpet when she noticed the stares she got.

"My grandparents live in a city in the north of Nigeria." Frederick crossed his arms over his chest. "It's near the border of the next province."

"We will be right in the next city. You guys should come visit us sometime!" Aziza smiled excitedly. She looked down at her watch. "Hey, Hazina, I need to speak to my professor before we go back to the room. Do you think that girl you knocked out has woken up?"

"What?" Kanshero slid forward in his chair and laughed. He looked at Hazina with a strange smile and shining eyes. "Do tell."

Ignoring him, Hazina looked at Aziza. "Yes, it has been over three hours, but I am confident someone took her to the medical building." She stood and wrapped her scarf around her head. She raised her hand in the traditional Vulcan salute. "Live long and prosper, Kanshero and Frederick." She nodded to both of them before following Aziza from the café.

It was dark when Hazina and Aziza set out towards their room. Aziza had had a long conference with her professor that left her looking as if the man had drained all her energy. She rubbed her forehead and cursed in frustration when she emerged from his office. Hazina had placed a gloved hand on her shoulder as a form of support. Her friend had smiled at her in thanks.

"Do you even celebrate Christmas?" Aziza struggled to move her large suitcase which Hazina walked over and easily placed on the floor. She smiled at her.

"No, but my mother always sends us gifts when Kwanzaa and our birthdays come around." Hazina sat on the bed with a screwdriver in her hand. She undid the locks on the back of her communicator.

"What are you doing? Exposing that will ruin your hard drive!" Aziza ran towards her.

"Negative. I, with the urging of my younger brother, successfully created this communicator. The time is off by three seconds and the screen has a slight malfunction." Her eyes swept the circuits before she picked up the tweezers.

"You and your brother made a communicator?" Aziza sat on the bed.

"It was a project I began when I was ten years old." Hazina removed three chips and replaced them with the three she had lying on the bed.

"Ten?" Aziza sounded as if she did not believe her.

"I began the project when I was ten. Creating communicators requires more patience and time than most humans are capable. I wanted to give up many times, but my brother told me to persevere. That is how he helped me. I received a perfect on my project. This communicator has worked in excellent condition for four years. I upgrade the equipment and circuitry when necessary." She placed the screws into the back and looked up. "I am done. Today was tiring. I will sleep in order to be up for our trip tomorrow. Goodnight, Aziza." She, dressed in thick cotton pajamas, climbed underneath her covers and turned to the wall.

The wonderment on Aziza's face remained until she realized the girl had gone to sleep. "Computer, lights off." Her eyes fell upon the place where Hazina's bed was. "Goodnight, Hazina."


	5. Fire to my Soul

Don't own Star Trek or anything affiliated with it.

The package wrapped in shiny purple paper had arrived for her the morning they had been set to leave the academy. The package had been placed in her suitcase and forgotten until that moment. With delicate hands, she lifted it towards the light and stared with narrowed eyes. Her friend sat on the floor with her feet folded underneath her and a large smile on her face. How had she managed to forget about the package for seventeen days? She placed it on the bed and stared at it as if it was something that should not exist. Who would send her a package without wanting to receive gratification from her? She ran her index finger over the paper. She recalled the nervous boy that had delivered the package. He had stared at her ears for several seconds before he nearly ran away.

"Open it. Christmas was six days ago." Aziza nibbled on the cookie she held in her hand.

Hazina sat on the floor in front of her with the package in her hand. Her parents had given her a new laptop with the greatest memory capacity in existence; her grandfather had sent her a collection of ancient Vulcan lyrics. Her brown eyes darted towards the three small books sitting on Aziza's desk. Not even thinking about the myriad of things she had received from the crew of the Enterprise, she gently removed the paper from the gift. It was beautiful paper. She opened the box to find a video card for her communicator and a sheet of paper. She lifted the delicate piece of machinery gently; it was still in its plastic. She handed it to Aziza as she lifted the letter and began to read.

_Hazina,_

_Words are impossible things when I find myself in your presence. Is it logical to say that you make me nearly speechless? In haste of trying to select the perfect gift for you, I realized that the video card would be something you appreciate. I have written you a haiku._

_The rain leaks through the_

_roof and ruins white carpet_

_that hides wooden floors._

Her eyes met Aziza's. She held the letter out to her friend. The haiku made no sense. Her human side, which had been dominant ever since she had had that chocolate that day in the café, told her that the haiku was more than logical. She replayed the words over in her mind and realized it must be some sort of code. She analyzed the simple sentence until she came up with three different options. First, the person was comparing her to a carpet. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. Second, the person could be comparing himself to rain that will destroy the façade she has covering herself. This idea made more sense. She nodded as she discarded the last idea. She looked up to find Aziza with a large silly smile.

"I think I know who sent this." She chuckled.

"Logically, signs would point to Kanshero, but considering that they have agreed to come over today, and they say they have gifts, I do not think it is he." Hazina stood and put the things back into her bag.

"Exactly. That is why it is him." Aziza stood and tugged at the short black pants she wore. She wiped a spot of dirt from her pink shirt. "He is human. I'll be it, a damned smart human, but he is human."

"Your theory is interesting. We shall see when they arrive in three minutes." She zipped the bag and put it in the closet. Her feet slid into the white sandals by the bed she slept in. A feeling of nervousness came over her as she looked at the simple red dress she wore. It was made from a linen material with thin straps and reached the middle of her thighs. At least it was longer than the Starfleet uniforms. She sat on the bed and opened one of Aziza's fashion magazines. Her head lifted when she heard a ruckus in the hall.

Frederick appeared in the doorway smiling stupidly. He walked into the room followed by a disgruntled Kanshero. He ran his hand through his black hair as he pretended to be interested in the blue carpet on the floor. Aziza welcomed them and went to get them drinks. Hazina looked at the both of them before turning her gaze back to the magazine in hand. A beautiful red ball gown had caught her attention. While she had been to only one ball in her entire life, she found the attire to be beautiful and well worth the two thousand dollars it cost. She shifted in the bed and leaned to the right slightly so that her back was against the wall.

"Isn't it rude on Vulcan to not greet people?" Frederick eyes were not on her face but her legs.

Her gaze left his face and fell upon that of a fuming Kanshero. His eyes were narrowed as he stared at his step brother. "Hello, Kanshero." She gave him a small smile before turning her attention back to the magazine.

Aziza handed each of them their glasses while speaking. "Hazina and I have a little bet going. Kanshero, did you get Hazina a gift?"

The boy nearly choked on the brown substance before he placed the glass on the table. He reached into his pocket and handed each of them a small box. "Merry Christmas!"

Frederick produced three boxes and handed two of them to Hazina. "Jamison told me to give you that. He said thanks again…"

"Jamison James?" Kanshero stared at the box on Hazina's lap. "H-how do you know Jamison?"

She frowned at the smirk Aziza gave her. Hazina looked at Kanshero with a strange expression. "I tutored him in engineering." She opened Jamison's box first. Inside was a silver hairclip with a glittering blue butterfly. It took a lot of control for her to fight the smile tugging at her lips. It was beautiful. She lifted it and pulled her hair, which had grown two inches past her shoulders, back and snapped it in place. She opened Frederick's gift next. Inside his box was a small disc. She lifted the red case and stared at it incredulously. She looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"It is something I think you will benefit a lot from." Frederick smiled widely.

"Thank you." She placed the disc to the side as she lifted Kanshero's box. After taking the top off, she simply stared at the hairclips lying inside. They were both silver, but one was a dragonfly with a green stone on its back, and the other was pink daisies with a yellow stone in its center. The corner of her mouth lifted slightly. Her face was blank when she looked at him. "Thank you, Kanshero." She handed each of them their gifts. They looked confused with what they found. In an attempt to explain the discs, she stood. "Frederick, your gift is a video game my siblings created so that they could do something in their free time. The game is simple. I studied you the entire semester and found that it would be a suitable gift for you. Only two copies of this game exist: theirs and yours. You, Kanshero, I gave you a media disc. There are videos, pictures, and music in Vulcan. No, Aziza, you do not have the same disc."

Kanshero pushed the disc into his communicator. His eyes widened when he heard a woman singing after he selected music. "Who is this?"

"That is my sister and me." Hazina sat on the bed and picked up the magazine again.

"Will you tell her you sent that other gift?" Aziza looked at Kanshero pointedly.

"That would not be wise. I did not know who sent the gift until I opened Kanshero's to find the hairclips. After much deduction and analyzing, I have found who sent the gift." Hazina looked at her roommate over the magazine.

"Who?" Aziza sat on the floor with round eyes.

"It is only logical to deduce that Alphonse sent the gift. He sat two seats away from me in engineering, and although we were acquainted, he never spoke more than hello to me. Also, Kanshero was not aware that I am even interested in engineering. Although Kanshero did see my communicator, I am not sure if he would have understood the need for me to get a new video card, but Alphonse did see my communicator's screen flicker once when I was speaking to my sister one morning before class." She blinked and allowed her gaze to fall to the purple pants suit on the page.

"You are a machine." Frederick looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. He stared at her hands before letting his eyes fall to her legs.

"Alphonse gave you a gift?" Kanshero cleared his throat. He hit Frederick on the arm when he noticed that he was looking at Hazina's legs again. She nodded without looking up from the magazine. "Was it better than my gift?" He pressed his lips together when she looked up at him with raised eyebrows.

"No." Hazina looked down at the magazine. It would have been better than his gift if she had not already replaced the video card. She would just send the extra video card to her siblings. Her eyes roamed the magazine.

Aziza rolled her eyes at the wide grin Kanshero had on his face. "Hey, guys, lets go for a walk!"

The walk entailed them running through a thick field of grass until they came to a small clutter of trees. Hazina remained on the ground for two reasons: she wore a dress, and she had never climbed a tree. Her brown eyes danced with humor as she watched them climb; Aziza, in an impressive show of sportsmanship, made it to the top first. She clapped her hands and bowed to an imaginary audience before she quickly descended. They bought cups of flavored ice from a street vendor and continued on their way. Hazina swept all her hair up into a ponytail at the top of the head. The sun was annoying to her skin.

"Are you too hot?" Frederick asked with a smirk.

"No, the temperature on my home planet is twenty degrees hotter than this. The sun is annoying to my skin." Hazina touched her cheek to find that it hurt slightly.

"I think we better get her back to the house. She looks like she's been sunburned." Kanshero wrapped his hand around her wrist. He smiled when she looked at him. "I read someplace that bumping hands can cause mistaken telepathic connections with Vulcans."

"That is true."

Hazina lay on the bed staring at the ceiling. The cream Aziza had covered her face and arms in caused her skin to itch. She listened to the light conversations drifting around her as she tried to rest. The music from her communicator broke her weak meditations. She lifted the communicator and pressed the accept button. Her mother's smiling face appeared on the other end. The smile was quickly replaced by a look of concern.

"What happened!?" Uhura frowned deeply.

"The proximity of the land to the sun has caused my skin to become irritated and…dried." Hazina looked to the face of the man that appeared beside her mother. "Hello, father." She sat up. Again, Kanshero appeared beside her with a large smile. Fighting the urge to frown, she added, "father, this is Kanshero Matazuma. Kanshero, this is Commander Spock."

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, sir. I am privileged." Kanshero smiled. He looked at Hazina for a moment before disappearing from view.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Spock's voice was ever the monotonous one.

"I am, father. Aziza has informed me that the next two weeks of my stay may have to be spent inside. Our friends have offered to visit us daily to keep me company. Aziza's adoptive mother is an interesting woman." Hazina spoke lightly.

"Do you mind if I speak to her?" Uhura smiled at her daughter.

With a small grunt, Hazina stood and carried the communicator into the front room where a short woman with chin length black hair sat watching the television. Hazina handed her the communicator and went back into the room. Although she knew her mother would not be angry with Miss Umbha for what happened to her, Hazina knew her mother would take extra precautions when it came to her oldest daughter. She watched her three friends sitting on the floor playing a game of money with tiny pieces that looked like buildings and vehicles.

"I didn't know your mom was Noyota Uhura." The woman handed her the communicator. "My sister, Aziza's other aunt, went to the same high school as she. What a small world." The woman smiled and went back to the front room.

Hazina continued to stare at the white ceiling until she felt herself being stripped away by meditation. Soon, her emotions had all broken down until there was nothing left but white. Her eyebrow moved and caused her a considerable amount of pain, but she would never voice her discomfort. No, she simply closed her eyes and went back to trying to force her body to comply with her logical side. Two more weeks and she would be away from the horrible sun and back in class. She had something to look forward to.

************************************************************************************************************************************************ _**These chapters are ready. I just forget to post them. **_


	6. I have seen where it grows

_**I don't own anything related to Star Trek. Shakespeare is Shakespeare (lol). You get to meet a new character, not really new, but I decided it would be fun to add her to the story. **_

The air was still cold against her skin as it had been the months before. She held her hair in place with her favorite hairclip: the green dragonfly Kanashero had given her. She clutched the coat hanging on her shoulders and stared at the people milling about the arrival portals. Aziza walked towards her with a cup in each hand. She smiled and sat down on the bench beside her standing friend. Whether Hazina was willing to admit or not, she was more human than she gave herself credit for.

The corner of her mouth lifted slightly as a woman several years older than them emerged from the tunnel dressed in a knee length yellow dress and black heels. Her blue eyes darted back and forth as she searched amongst the crowd for a familiar face. Hazina stepped forward; the woman smiled widely, revealing even white teeth. Her skin was slightly tanned and went well with her chestnut colored hair. She wore little make up. After enveloping Hazina in an awkward hug, one in which Hazina simply tapped the woman on the back once, they walked towards the area to get her luggage.

"Joanna McCoy, this is my friend and roommate Aziza Umbha. Aziza, this is Joanna." Hazina watched the luggage rotate once and grabbed two suitcases as they passed the second time.

"Hello. I don't know if Hazina has spoken of me, but I'm moving here to be a nurse at Starfleet." Joanna had a thick southern accent.

"That is wonderful. I hope you enjoy your job!" Aziza laughed. "You're here only a few days before Hazina's parents are set to arrive."

"Am I? I know my father promised to come over and visit, but I figured the power couple had visited their baby already." She nudged Hazina in the side when the girl stiffened slightly.

They fell into a comfortable silence until the got on the shuttle. Joanna and Aziza spoke about their respective backgrounds, and Aziza appeared to be more interested in the idea of shooting someone with a hypospray than actually healing someone. She began to ask Joanna questions about tricorders and the new x-ray machine the Germans were working on. Hazina knew that Joanna would not be aware of such a machine, but she did not point this out to her friend. She remained silent the entire time, allowing the two to get to know one another. There was no need for her to speak when she already knew what they shared with one another.

Joanna's quarters were similar to theirs, but with one bed and a sitting area. Hazina had stood in the sitting room with her arms crossed over her chest as Aziza walked around poking furniture. She shook her head when she came to what looked like a bookshelf. The wood looked really cheap. She turned to Joanna to find that the woman had returned with a large smile. "Well, girls, I'm going to have to do some shopping so I can put this place in order.

Shopping with Aziza and shopping with Joanna were two different experiences. Obviously, Joanna had seen a picture of her quarters before she had arrived. She went into the furniture store and purchased several pictures, lamps, and a new mattress. All these things would be delivered the following morning. They then went to a department store. Joanna had several colors in mind, but she decided to go with a simple peach theme for her sitting room. Hazina watched in silence and enraptured as the woman purchased things she had never heard of. When they had left the store, each of them carried four bags, all of which belonged to Joanna. Aziza had talked Joanna into going to a pale blue for her bedroom and bathroom.

They opted to eat lunch at a restaurant off of campus. After dropping her bags, Joanna offered to pay for them to eat lunch. Aziza had suggested the restaurant the moment Joanna offered. They walked into the place chatting with Hazina walking behind them with careful eyes. Aziza and Joanna had relaxed completely and acted as if they were old friends. Hazina sat beside Aziza looking straight ahead. A woman with flat gray hair dressed in a knee length blue dress and white apron came over to take their orders.

"I'll take the beef stew and Italian bread. My friend beside me will have your garden salad and a bowl of Andorian cabbage soup. I will have a diet sprite to drink, and she will have water." Aziza slid the menu back into place.

Joanna smiled. "I'll take the steak well done, potatoes, and carrots. For a drink I would like sweet tea." She watched the lady leave before she turned back to Hazina and Aziza. "You always order for her?"

A dark eyebrow rose. "She's never eaten here. As I am aware of her diet, Hazina trusts me to choose wisely for her." Aziza smiled at her friend.

After Joanna posed a somewhat complex question about human and Andorian DNA bonding, Hazina found herself engulfed in a conversation that took up most of their eating time and kept them in the restaurant an hour afterwards. Hazina had even ventured to try Aziza's cheesecake and found it pleasant. Of course she had gone back to her and Joanna's conversation almost as quickly.

All the talk of DNA left Hazina reeling as she dropped onto her bed and picked up the book lying closest to her. It was the collection of Shakespeare's sonnets Uncle Jim had given her for Christmas. She opened the book to land upon sonnet 116: "Let me not to the marriage of true minds." Her eyes skimmed the sonnet before she began to read aloud.

"**Let me not to the marriage of true minds  
Admit impediments. Love is not love  
Which alters when it alteration finds,  
Or bends with the remover to remove:  
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark  
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;  
It is the star to every wandering bark,  
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.  
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks  
Within his bending sickle's compass come:  
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,  
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.  
If this be error and upon me proved,  
I never writ, nor no man ever loved."**

She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. Her thoughts were flooded by an image of her sitting before a boy the same age as she. The fear in his eyes surely mirrored her own; she was almost purely human. If his fear was so naked in his eyes then she knew the eyes that everyone attributed to her mother were as naked with emotion. The elder had told her that it would be a simple task, but Hazina had found the ordeal tiring and somewhat hurtful. She had tried very hard to hide the fact from the man that she was afraid, but she had to follow him where he guided her.

Her mind was assaulted with unwavering fear and anger. The dark eyes of the boy sitting across from her widened slightly. Her eyelids fluttered closed as they allowed the elder to connect them in mind. Afterwards, Hazina had been angry, but she did not know why. What she truly wanted to feel was relief when the elder said they were done. She had run to her mother and father and waited until they took her back to her grandfather's house. She then went into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror until she cried.

"I have a question." Aziza stood in the middle of the room with a hand on her hip. She pressed her lips together when Hazina looked at her with slight anger from being interrupted from her meditation. She cleared her throat. "I read in a book that Vulcans are bonded when they are seven. Is this why you won't talk to Kanshero?"

She sat up straight in bed and gazed at Aziza through narrowed eyes. Had she, in some illogical way, caused her thoughts to be transmitted to the girl standing before her. "I was bonded at seven to a Vulcan named Kyleth. Although his parents had initially disagreed, they later agreed because he said he wanted to be bonded with me. Kyleth had stood up for me a few times before we even bonded. I suppose that is why he found our bonding logical. The elder said it worked, but when it was over, all I felt was anger and sadness. There are rare moments when I get angry that I am just overcome by complete calmness."

She sighed and looked at Aziza. "He has moved on to protecting my younger sister now. I always thought he was a peculiar Vulcan." She looked down at the sonnet again.

"You miss him." Aziza said with a large smile. She nudged Hazina with her elbow as she sat on the bed next to her.

"I do. He offered me interesting conversation. His presence was also calming and pleasant." She looked at her friend and smiled.

"You're so digging him."

"Explain."

"It's an Earth way of saying you like him."

"Yes. He is pleasant."

Aziza sighed and scratched her head gently. "What about Kanshero? Do you like him in the same way?"

"No, those are two completely different things. I respect both of them, but my feelings for Kanshero are more along the lines of camaraderie." Hazina stood and walked towards the bathroom. "I think I will shower so that I may begin reading for tomorrow."

~8~

The sky was a light gray color, and thick shreds of white fell to the ground. Hazina stood in front of the door in the academics office staring out into the growing blandness. She cast a sideways glance to the girl pacing behind her. Aziza chewed on her fingernails and kept looking from Hazina to the floor. Meeting Hazina's parents, meeting the infamous Mr. and Mrs. Spock, had her nerves stretched. She had nearly failed the quiz she had taken earlier that day. Hazina could tell from the look her friend gave her that she envied her ability to be so composed during a time like this.

An older man with short gray hair appeared before them. He wore a gold sweater and glasses. He handed Hazina a steaming cup of tea and Aziza a cup of black coffee. When he turned and went back into his office, they switched cups. Aziza laughed and exhaled loudly. Hazina moved away from the door and loosened the top button on her coat. She took a sip of her coffee and closed her eyes as the heat spread throughout her body. Her eyes opened with the swoosh of the door before them. She lifted her chin and fought back a frown when Aziza stepped behind her. Her mother and father, dressed in similar white coats, appeared in the doorway. She remained where she stood and just stared at them.

Nyota made a sound at the back of her throat that sounded strongly like a Klingon curse word as she shook her long black hair free of the snow. Her eyes fell upon her daughter, and her serious face broke into an expression of pure happiness. She shoved her gloves into her pockets as she walked towards the girl. She wrapped her arms around her tightly. "Oh, baby." Her lips brushed Hazina's forehead before she pulled away.

Her father stared at her for a second longer before he too enveloped her in a hug. He pulled away and gave her one of his small smiles. _"It is good to see you again, daughter."_ Her father spoke to her in Vulcan.

"_Not as good as it is for me to see you, father and mother."_ Her response was in the old dialect of Romulan.

"_That is pleasing to hear. I wondered how you faired while we were so far away in space."_ Her mother's Klingon was perfect.

"_I have just begun the exploration of the Klingon language, mother." _ Hazina's response was in Vulcan.

"I forget that you're following in your father's and grandfather's footsteps." Nyota mocked a sigh as she smiled at her daughter. "I missed you so much! I haven't seen you in two years."

Hazina fought back a smile. She stepped out of the way when her father looked at the girl behind her. "This is Aziza Umbha. Aziza, these are my parents: Commander Spock and Commander Uhura." She shrugged when she thought about the fact that she had never introduced her parents by their shared name.

"Wonderful! I knew a girl named Karimah Umbha. I went to secondary school with her." Nyota's face glowed with happiness.

"That was my aunt. She died in an explosion at an engineering site of the company she worked for." Aziza nodded.

That explained how she was able to do so much shopping. Hazina looked at the solemn expression her mother had taken. "Come, let's go get something to eat. Aziza knows a wonderful restaurant that she took us to eight days ago." She gave her friend a strange look as they led her parents out the building. If she felt this bad in the cold, she could only imagine how her father felt. She allowed her mother and Aziza, who were talking about Aziza's aunt, walk ahead of them. She eased next to her father and looked at him with pure adoration. Her mouth opened, but she did not speak because she did not know what words to say.

"Several of the crew members are coming here to stay two days before we return to our assignment." Spock stared straight ahead. His dark eyes closed against a strong winter breeze. His eyes opened when he felt the warmth of Hazina's scarf on his head. He looked at her black hair blowing in the wind before he reached for the scarf. Her hand landed upon his, and she shook her head.

The restaurant was slightly crowded. Cadets were celebrating the fact that they had just gotten through the second week of the semester. Hazina, being taller than the average person, looked over several heads to point to a table near the back of the restaurant. Hazina removed her coat and looked around for a waitress. When she observed that they were all occupied, she decided to go to the counter and order. She sat on the only unoccupied stool and looked at the woman standing behind the counter.

"Yes, dear?" She forced a smile.

"I would like a hamburger with fries, two garden salads, one house salad, and a bowl of tomato and okra soup. Give me a bowl of steamed sweet potatoes as well." Hazina stared at the woman. "Also, I need a two glasses of water, a diet coke, and a glass of orange juice." She took the tray of drinks from the woman and nodded to her. A man with a long blond ponytail jumped out of his seat and hit the tray slightly. She leaned back and found herself pressed against someone. The feel of their hands was familiar. She looked over her shoulder as she continued her path. Kanshero smiled at her widely. "Are you following me?"

"Not today. I just happened to be here with my crew." He pointed to Frederick, Alphonse, and two boys she did not recognize. "We're celebrating the two week mark." He forced his enthusiasm and continued to follow her.

He smiled when he saw who she sat with. His eyes darted from Hazina's face to the face of the woman sitting beside her. He smiled. "This is amazing. I am so happy to meet you, Commanders." He nodded to Spock and shook Nyota's hand. "Your daughter…your daughter." He excused himself.

"He pops up at the most random moments." Aziza sipped her orange juice. She rolled her eyes when Frederick waved at them.

"I will assist you with the food." Spock stood and followed Hazina to the counter. "Are you fond of him?"

Hazina looked at her father. "Kanshero? No, sa-mekh. I find that he is more annoying than comforting. I do enjoy his presence at times." She looked at Kanshero as she reached for the food. Her father handed the woman his card and waited as she marked over his receipt.

"Considering that we do not know the stability of the bond you have with Kyleth, I would suggest that the best decision would be to confer with him and agree to break whatever link you share." Spock lifted the tray he carried.

"Yes, father." She placed the tray on the table and did not look at him as she sat down.

"_Do you not think this a logical decision?"_ His voice was strong when he spoke in Vulcan.

She dipped her spoon into her okra and tomato soup. Her gaze followed the thick green vegetable floating around in the red liquid. She could not force herself to look at him, not when she found what she was about to say to be completely illogical. _"I have found that knowing I have some small link to him comforts me. He was there the day I left Vulcan, father. He has protected Shi'Kahr. He is studying hard in biological studies and medicine and surgery."_ She looked at her mother out the corner of her eye. She watched her with apt attention.

"_You are fond of him."_ It was a statement. When she did not respond, he looked at Nyota and nodded.

She was silent the remainder of the trip even when she and Aziza showed her parents her room, she remained silent. Never in her life had she felt annoyance with her parents. She kissed both of them on the cheek and waved goodbye to them. With a glance towards Aziza, she collapsed on her bed and stared at the wall. Had the reason for them visiting been based upon the single objective of talking her out of her bonding to Kyleth, which was still questionable? She blinked at the sympathetic expression Aziza offered her. The tension in her body began to ebb away. She closed her eyes and began her meditation chant.

The worst thing about having a roommate was that Hazina's body had grown accustomed to her lying down and meditating. She swam through the emotions around her until she neared a thin bridge. She could feel her mental self frowning. She slowly walked over the bridge, her bare feet reveling in the coolness of the wood. She stopped suddenly when she saw someone standing several feet away from her. Her heart rate increased by ten percent as she stepped closer and stretched out her arm. Kyleth turned to her with his expressionless face. He lifted his index and middle finger. Hazina allowed the happiness in her to flow towards him as she pressed her index and middle finger against his. The calmness in him flowed into her, making her relax. She stared into his dark eyes until she felt herself falling into a peaceful sleep.


	7. Losing Innocence

_**Don't own anything related to the Star Trek franchise**_.

The temperature of the room had increased by fifteen degrees. The man sitting at the desk staring at her looked like he was a predator staring at his lunch. She tilted her head slightly as she leveled her gaze with his. While she found the idea of actually being hunted down by a human to be fascinating, she could not waste time standing in his office. Her mother had made arrangements for them to go to a concert in an hour. Hazina fought back the urge to frown as the man stood and walked around his desk. How had he ever managed to get a job in engineering? Perhaps this was an explanation as to why Aziza had looked so mussed after she had visited him. The man stopped two feet away from her. He was standing behind her.

"Cadet…Hazina, you do realize that the paper you turned in was too well written for me to believe that it was done by a freshman." He walked in front of her and sat on his desk with his ankles crossed. He stared at her with eyes the color of emeralds.

Not by someone trained on Vulcan. She lifted her chin again and met his gaze with one of pure coldness. "I am of Vulcan descent. My grandfather raised me to follow the laws of Surak. I am sure every paper I write will excel that of any freshman you compare it to."

"I just wanted to let you know what was going on when you got the message from the board. I am sending the letter to them when you leave. Unless…"

She stared at him blankly. Realizing that he was waiting for her to say something, she opened her mouth to speak but found herself unable formulate a response to such an ambiguous statement. "Unless what, sir?" She stiffened at the look he gave her before his eyes began to travel over her body. While she was not raised human, she had been around humans long enough to understand what such actions meant. "Sir, I have another engagement. I have not plagiarized anything in my life. If you are done?"

"If that is your decision." He looked at her with an expression she did not recognize. His eyes widened a fraction when she swept her hair behind her ears and turned to leave.

If she was correct, his heart rate had increased by 12.34%. Not wanting to find out why such a strange thing had happened, she quickly left the room before he could speak again. She walked to her room and showered. Her choice of attire for that night was a knee length black dress with sleeves that reached her elbows. The neck line had an oval cut. She brushed her hair back into a tight bun, slid into her black shoes, and grabbed her black shoes from the closet. She picked up the small purse on her desk on the way out the room. She pulled on her coat as she walked down the hall.

Her parents had been staying in a hotel for the last nine days. Hazina had visited them every day that she could get away. Her mother was a wonderful teacher when it came to Klingon language and history. They had established a strange routine in which she spoke to them in only the Klingon language. Hazina easily accepted the feedback her parents gave her when she got ready to depart. Her mother was a woman that was easy to get along with.

The ride on the hoverbus was calming to Hazina. While she had wanted to push the incident with Lieutenant Commander Davies to the back of her mind, she found that a mood of agitation had settled upon her. Had Aziza actually allowed this man to take advantage of her in such a way? The ideas made Hazina want to throw up and break her professor in half. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. Violence was not the way of Surak. She had to keep her emotions as bound as possible so that she could avoid losing her temper. She pressed her index finger against her lips and searched her mind for any sign that the man she was bonded to was still there.

She was pulled from her reverie when someone sat down beside her and bumped into her. Her brown eyes opened and turned to the left slowly so that she found the smiling face of a glittery eyed Jamison James. He nodded to her; she copied his movements. She stared straight ahead until the hoverbus arrived at her destination. With another nod, she stood and got off the bus. Her shoes made soft clicking sounds that she found comforting as she walked into the large hotel and went straight up to her parents' room. The door opened just as she lifted her hand to knock. Her father bowed to her slightly before disappearing into the bedroom.

Although she thought Vulcan music was interesting and filled with more wisdom than one body could handle in its lifetime, Hazina knew that human music was written to be calming and sensual. Her eyes moved with the quickness of the bow the violinist held. The tension in her shoulders began to leave once the heavy opera singer stepped onto the stage. She shocked Hazina when she began to sing in perfect Orion. Her mother smiled widely and reached for her father's hand. Hazina sighed and turned her attention back to the singer.

There was a reception held in the hall down the corridor from the auditorium. Hazina had wanted to leave; during the concert, her eyes had found none other than the Lieutenant Commander Davies sitting with a brunette with hazel eyes. They had been holding hands. She looked around curiously and found her parents talking to Admiral Pike and his wife. After taking a drink from the tray a scowling waiter offered her, she walked towards the large display of neon lights. There were fish from different planets in each aquarium. She identified almost all of them until she noticed a glowing red fish. She stepped forward and narrowed her eyes.

"That is a Zedaborian fish. I think it is called a rousenkak. Glowing red fish. Not very creative."

She did not have to turn to know who it was that spoke. Because it was customary for her to acknowledge her superiors, she did so. When he did not respond, she turned to the aquarium again and stared at the unknown fish. While she had never been interested in such a subject before, she could not deny that the red was beautiful. A smile tugged at her lips but she pushed it away. She stiffened slightly when Lieutenant Commander Davies stood beside her with his drink in hand.

"I considered the fact that you are new to Earth and may not understand certain things, but the way you responded to me earlier made me upset. I believe you will receive a message from the administration telling you that we have a meeting scheduled for Monday at 1100." His voice was low and almost hypnotic.

The frown on her face could not be hidden when she turned to him. Her skin had flushed slightly as she glared at him. "I may be new to Earth, sir, but I recognize intimidation when I see it. While I am flattered, I must insist that you abandon your attempts."

"You're right. What is one silly girl compared to hundreds?" He lifted his glass to her.

Because she did not trust herself to say anything proper to her superior officer, she did not speak. A weight of relief came over her when she saw her parents approaching. Her mother had a look of concern. She stood straight and placed her glass on a passing waiter's tray. "Sir, I would like to introduce my parents." She almost smiled at the shock on his face. "Commander Spock and his wife, Commander Uhura." Again, Hazina had a feeling that she should introduce her mother by her bonded name.

The man looked at her with horror on his face. He turned to her parents and gulped down the remainder of his champagne. "It is an honor." He forced a smile.

Nyota looked at her daughter. "Is there something wrong? It is not like you to be so emotional."

"There is nothing wrong. I simply allowed the Lieutenant Commander's antics to annoy me." She looked at her mother.

"What antics?" Nyota's arms fell to her side. She gave the man standing beside her a glare of pure dislike that caused him to gulp.

"He accused me of plagiarizing my research paper then tried to coax me into giving him sexual favors in exchange for him forgetting the matter. Just now he was telling me I have a meeting with the administration Monday at 1100 hours. Is that not correct, sir?" She turned to him but not before noticing that her father had pressed his lips together.

"I-I…excuse me." He ran his fingers through his hair nervously as he stepped away then quickly disappeared into the crowd.

"How disgusting." Nyota touched her daughter's arm and pulled her into a hug. "Do not let him get to you, Hazina. If you like, we will attend this meeting with you. We do not leave until Tuesday."

Her brown eyes found her father's face. While his face was expressionless, his eyes showed her that he would support her. She nodded to them. Her mother pulled her towards the door and stopped when Admiral Pike called out to them. She explained the situation in a low manner and nodded when he offered to speak to the man. They waited in silence for the next shuttle.

"I think riding shuttles is better than hoverbuses. Shuttles are always less crowded." Nyota draped her coat across the back of a chair. Of course neither of her Vulcan companions made a comment on the matter. She sighed and sat on the couch beside her daughter while Spock occupied the chair beside them. "Spock, please say something before I go crazy."

The corner of his lips rose slightly when he looked at his wife. "What would you like me to speak on, Nyota?" He gave her a full out smile when she rolled her eyes at him. He stood and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Our daughter is capable of taking care of herself."

Said daughter flipped open her communicator to find a message from Aziza. Frederick had asked her out, so she would not be in their quarters when she returned. She pushed the communicator back into her purse and gave her parents her attention again. "Father is correct, mother. Last semester my defense instructor even promoted me to advanced defenses II. Even then, he told me that it was pointless of me to be in the class."

Noyota smiled and covered her face with her hands. How had she managed to allow her daughter to turn into a mini version of Spock? She grasped her daughter's hand in her own and allowed her emotions to flow into the girl. "I know you hate when people touch your hands, but I want you to know how I feel. I know that you can fight, Hazina, but some things are more mental than physical."

"It would be illogical for me to allow something so trivial to disrupt the mental patterns I have, mother." Hazina looked at the woman with a smile in her eyes.

Her mother smiled and pressed a warm kiss against her cheek. "Tomorrow, I want you to stay in your room and work on the speech you are going to present to the board. Sulu and Kirk are supposed to arrive tomorrow morning. They will be well rested, and we will go to dinner with them."

"Yes, mother." She kissed her mother on the cheek and stood. After giving her father a firm hug, she left the hotel.

The room seemed empty without Aziza there. Hazina dressed in her thick cotton pajamas and climbed into bed with a soft sigh. Perhaps the situation with the Lieutenant Commander would not be as annoying as she anticipated. She found herself analyzing the situation and realized that she did not need to prepare an argument. She had all of her papers and supportive materials put away. She climbed from bed and went into the bathroom. There, she lit three incense and sat on the soft rug meditating. It did not take her long that time to find her stream of whiteness.

~8~

Uncle Jim still had the same haircut but with strings of gray here and there. He pulled Hazina into a tight hug and pinched her cheek when they separated. She blushed and gave Sulu a hug and kiss on the cheek. They were at an Italian restaurant that was filled with its patrons. Jim made a point of sitting next to Hazina so that he could pester her about getting into the academy. Realizing that the girl had barely changed, he found that the only time he got a response from her was when he compared her to her father, even then it was only a slight blush. Jim rested a hand on her shoulder and told her that they would welcome her as an officer on the enterprise after she graduated. She smiled at him.

Joanna and her father decided to show up. The two girls hug awkwardly, and Joanna sat next to Hazina so that she could talk to her. She leaned in closely so that she could whisper. "Christopher tells me that you are having problems with one of your professors."

Of course Admiral Pike's son would be aware of anything his father got involved in. She nodded slightly and looked at Joanna. "Yes, Lieutenant Commander Davies has accused me of plagiarizing. He expected sex from me."

"What?" McCoy looked between the two girls with narrowed eyes. While Joanna was the only blood daughter he had, Hazina was just like his child. "Who?"

"What's going on?" Jim lowered his glass and stared at the two of them.

The brunette cleared her throat softly and looked to her friend for confirmation that it was okay to share the story. Joanna wasn't sure if her father was mad about the situation with Hazina or whoever Christopher was. When Hazina nodded, she pressed her lips together. "Well, I learned from a friend that Hazina is being brought before the board. She says a Lieutenant Commander Davies is bringing charges of plagiarism against her. She also asserts that he tried to trade sexual favors as a way for his keeping quiet."

"What?!" Jim stood and slammed his hand down on the table.

"Jim, will you shut up? Now, Joanna, who is this friend?" McCoy frowned.

"Christopher Pike Jr." Jim frowned at McCoy. He rolled his eyes when his friend gave him an annoyed expression. "She has been corresponding with him for nearly two years. I found out because I accidentally knocked her communicator open the last time we were at her place. I'm sorry." He gave Joanna an apologetic look before looking at Spock and Nyota then to Hazina. "Do I have to beat this guy to a pulp?"

Hazina pressed her lips together but found she had to lower her face to hide the smile she wore. She shook her head gently. "No, I can handle this on my own."

"No, ma'am. We're all going to be there to support you." Jim smiled at her before he took another sip from his drink. Sulu nodded in accordance. McCoy was too busy leering at his own daughter to notice much of anything else going on. "Get off it, Bones. She's a twenty-four year old woman! And, you're her father, how could you have not known?"

"We hardly talk, Jim. Damn it, I'm a doctor not a psychic." He glared at his friend and sat back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest.

"May I have another drink?" Sulu lifted his glass to the waiter walking by. He gave Hazina a small smile and shrugged. Business as usual.


	8. Apathetic way to be

_**Don't own anything related to Star Trek. Some of my information may not match tip for tap.**_

The room they sat in was quite spacious and filled not only with members of the administrators, but some of Hazina's peers as well. Her brown eyes scanned the dozens of faces until they landed upon a smiling Aziza and Kanshero. Frederick could not be there because he had a class at that hour. Two rows behind them with a smug smile on his face sat Jamison James. His hair had been cut short to his head, making him look more like he was in the military than a guy trying to pilot a Starfleet ship. He nodded to her when he caught her attention. She turned and looked at the row of men and women sitting before her. There were ten in all. Her hands clasped tightly on her lap as she began to count mentally so that she could slow the beating of her heart. She stood when the head administrator entered. With her hands clasped behind her back, she approached the podium. Her mother gave her an encouraging nod.

"Cadet, you have been accused of plagiarizing work." The head administrator was a woman with skin almost as dark as her hair. She looked at Hazina with her lips pressed together. Her gaze moved to the professor. "Lieutenant Commander Davies." The woman, above anything, looked to be completely annoyed.

Davies stood and presented a copy of Hazina's paper and the supposed place from which it had been copied. He placed both pieces of evidence on the table before the administration. "A copy of this information was submitted with the formal papers."

"Cadet?" The woman lifted her head when Jim waved at her from behind Hazina.

She nodded and stepped to the podium. "Administrators, I have also submitted to you the original two versions of my paper and the research that I, myself, and my sister published three years ago on the topic of biochemical engineering. While Lieutenant Commander Davies may not have noticed my name in the article because it focuses more on my grandfather, he will note that the sixty page paper written has my Vulcan name above my sister's."

"I was not aware that you had two names."

"Hazina means treasured or valuable in Swahili. My grandfather thought it logical that I should have a Vulcan name. My Vulcan name is Taluhk S'chn T'gai." She looked at her professor. She wished that he would stop now and let this silly thing go. There seemed to be no need for her to bring up his shortcomings.

He sighed loudly. "I was not aware of this information…"

"Obviously. Well, in light of this, we'll just dismiss this case."

"Wait! What about him trying to--" Jim's yelling was cut short by an angry McCoy. He shook his head and glared at the man. "He's an asshole, Bones."

"While we do enjoy having the ever famous crew from the Enterprise here …" The head administrator frowned as she stared pointedly at Jim. She pressed her lips together before the smile in her eyes could spread to her lips. "Dismissed."

Hazina turned to Jim the moment they were free. "Uncle Jim, I find that brining up something so personal would have been embarrassing for the Lieutenant Commander."

"What exactly would this something be?" The head Administrator, Marguerite Boe, stood behind the girl with raised eyebrows. She looked at the face of each of the individuals before her. "Well, Nyota?"

Her mother sighed and leaned forward so that her elbows rested on the thick wooden railings. "Mr. Davies wanted sexual favors from Hazina."

The woman nodded. "The last girl that said that could not convince anyone else to sign her petition. We know." A look of utter disgust came over her. She gave Hazina a completely sympathetic look. "This was a waste of time. I suggested it be handled with fewer people. I knew who you were when I saw the three different names you use."

"Three?" Jim asked with a frown.

"I sometimes use my mother's maiden name so that confusion will not be roused. No humans can say our family name. Humans like to ask for full names." She nodded to Jim.

He rolled his eyes as he stood. "God, Spock, did you spit her out?" He bounced down the steps and took Marguerite's arm as he led her to the door.

"Oh, my god!" Aziza covered her mouth. She bit into her lower lip and stared at Scotty with eyes of adoration and admiration. "Mr. Montgomery Scott. You are my idol."

Bones snorted. "You looking for liver failure too?" He shrugged and walked to the back of the room.

Hazina sighed as Aziza eased herself into a conversation with Scotty. She turned to her parents and Sulu. "I am going to miss you guys again. I know, I'm being emotional, but you're my parents." She jumped over the railing and pulled them both into a tight hug. She hugged Sulu as well. They were scheduled to leave the following morning, and she had plans of skipping class so she could see them off. Her mother squeezed her tightly to remind her that they hadn't gone yet. She motioned to Aziza, who waved her off without even taking her attention from Scotty. She fought back laughter as she walked towards Kanshero.

He did not speak when she first stopped by him. Instead he nodded and began to walk away. Hazina gave her parents another wave before she followed him from the room. His hair flew in his face as the wind blew against them. "You are one strange girl."

"You need a haircut." She pulled her hat over her ears and looked at him blankly when he did not respond. "You did not accost Captain Kirk when you saw him."

Kanshero chuckled. He shook his head as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket. He gave her a grin as he replied. "Captain Kirk is not my hero."

"Dare I endeavor to ask if you have a hero on the Enterprise?" She looked at him. They were heading to the mess hall.

"Your father." He laughed when she gave him a look of shock that she quickly covered. "I met him when I was six years old. He and my father were talking at some stupid function. Then, I wanted to be the greatest researcher of all time. I've read a lot of your father's work. I've unknowingly read some of your work. He is a genius, and you follow strongly in his steps." He sighed loudly. He held the door open and followed her inside.

"When did you know you wanted to be a captain, then?" Hazina picked up a bowl of white pasta, an apple, and a bottle of water. She sat down across from Kanshero and stared at him.

"That night when my father told me the story about the Enterprise's maiden voyage. He had been there." Kanshero laughed as he lifted his fork, which had a piece of dark brown meat speared at the end of it, to his mouth. The look of delight on his face almost caused curiosity in Hazina. He looked at her when he realized she had not spoken. She was waiting for him to elaborate. "Your father was captain of the Enterprise, remember?"

"As I have been informed. You will not lose your posting in the same manner he did, will you?" Was she making a joke? She shook her head gently and looked down at the pasta. The thick white alfredo sauce smelled good, but Hazina knew that she was partially addicted to cheese and did not want to risk eating any. She dipped her index finger in the sauce and nearly moaned at how delicious it tasted. The noodles were perfectly al dented when she took a forkful into her mouth.

Instead of replying to her, Kanshero simply laughed and shook his head as if he had not known she was capable of humor. She watched him carefully as she continued to eat. When she was done, she got another apple and followed him into the cold afternoon air. He watched her out the corner of his eye; she had seen him when she'd looked towards the administration hall in search of Aziza. Why were human men so evasive about things? She stopped suddenly and turned to him. Her mouth opened then closed. Her gaze met his, and she found that she could not say the words that she wanted to. Instead, she lifted the apple and bit into it. They turned and began to walk again. She would tell him in due time.

She sat on the floor with her legs crossed underneath her staring at a slightly drunk Scotty pretending to be what looked like an animal. This game, which she could remember as early as three years, had been played amongst the crew since before she was born. The origination for the game was vague, but Hazina was too busy trying to figure out what Scotty was doing to really care. Her eyes darted to Kanshero sitting several feet away with a beer in one hand and round eyes. A knowing smile appeared upon his face suddenly as his hand shot into the air. He correctly identified the engineering Commander's action as The Great Elephant Movement. Hazina hated this game. How could she correctly answer when she had never seen such a stupidly titled film?

She stood and walked over to the window where Aziza sat chatting with Uncle Jim. Aziza had told her she had a lot of uncles when she had introduced all of them, but then Hazina had explained the fact that she was the first child born on the Enterprise. They, in their silly attempt to make her as human as possible, doted much love upon her, but it was her telepathic abilities that forced them to leave her on Vulcan.

She looked at the wall as she recalled the events. It had been a typical day in the routine of her three year old life. Chekov, after an angry argument with the woman that was now his ex wife, had taken her hand to lead her back to her parents' quarters. While she had been quiet most of the walk there, she had begun to tremble by the time they reached the door. Coupled with the fact that Shi'Kahr enjoyed the sound of her own wailing, Hazina had covered her ears and began to yell. She knocked a white vase to the floor and continued to scream incoherent phrases that were composed of Vulcan and human words. Her father had simply picked her up and pressed his fingers against the side of her face. When he found what had caused the outburst, he convinced Nyota to leave her with his father.

Hazina did a very human thing and bumped her shoulder against Uncle Jim's as she stood next to him. He wrapped a loving arm around her and continued, in a messy way, to explain the pattern of the ship engine. Aziza nodded and kept her lips pursed in attention. Hazina knew a thousand questions were forming in the girl's head. She fought back a smile as Jim drew his lecture to a close. Hazina maneuvered away from them just as Aziza began to fire off questions.

Although the crew of the Enterprise was now Commanders, Hazina had never actually addressed any of them with the title. Commanders Sulu, Chekov, Uhura, Spock, Montgomery, and McCoy. Her eyes swept each face as the title and name came to her. She turned quickly when her mother saw her standing against the bar in the room. She could hear her soft steps as she approached. Shi'Kahr had been correct, being more Vulcan did have its perks. She turned to her mother as she came to a halt behind her.

"You've been quiet tonight. You don't like Charades?" Her mother smiled as she reached behind the counter and picked up a small bottle of vodka. She motioned towards Scotty.

"Charades is not a logical game, mother. I have no knowledge or experience of more than 76.83% of the information being shared." She picked up her cup of tea she had abandoned earlier.

"You liked it when you were younger." Nyota smiled.

"Yes, mother, I was three years old and mesmerized that adults could be so carefree." The corner of her lips twitched.

Her mother sighed and shook her head. "You guys better be leaving soon. Curfew will be in effect within fifteen minutes." She gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before returning to the group.

After another long round of goodbyes and pulling Aziza away from a drunken Scotty, who confessed the girl to be the most beautiful woman in the world, Hazina found herself beside Kanshero with Aziza on his right as they walked towards the port for a shuttle.

The next morning she, Aziza, and Kanshero stood in the docking area looking somewhat disgruntled. Hazina kept her blank expression as she hugged and kissed each of her family members again. Of course she promised to message them at least twice a week. Although she found the number to be unreasonable, she agreed when Jim suggested it. They waved as they entered the ship.

When the door closed, Hazina sighed deeply and closed her eyes. It was always comforting to her to see her family. When she thought of the time McCoy had allowed her to help him in sickbay by sticking Uncle Jim with a hypospray, she coughed to hide her giggles. Then, there was that time Sulu had sneaked her onto the bridge and let her put them in warp 8. Her small fingers had moved across the buttons swiftly before she pulled the lever. He had hugged her and told her she was a genius. She smiled and inhaled. When she opened her mouth, she realized there was something wet on her face. Her index finger traced the line of clear liquid. She was crying. She looked down as the ship began to disappear. Kanshero's gloved hand was wrapped tightly around hers.

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_**A/N: I really just wanted to show how supportive the crew of the Enterprise is of their first child. **_


	9. Disguising Mistakes with Goodbyes

_**I own nothing related to Star Trek. **_

Two years later (early August)

"Ugh!!!" Aziza grunts were indistinguishable, but her roommate already knew why she was grunting at this time of night.

In an attempt to not make either of the people on the other side of the room feel awkward, Hazina remained completely still. She had to use the toilet, but she knew she could hold it until they finished. Her eyelids fluttered closed and she tried to meditate, tried to push away the small sounds they made. She could see herself sitting in the meditation room with incense burning gently in front of her as she sat cross legged dressed in a white robe. All she could see was white; her mind was a vast canvas of the purest white. Her world was not bound by sounds of lust or assignments professors gave because they were suffering through divorces. All that existed was her body and the sea of purity around her. She inhaled deeply. No frustration.

Her eyes flew open the moment the door closed. She sat up in bed and cast her roommate a blank glance as she stood and went into the bathroom. Hazina stared at her reflection in the mirror. The light made her paler than she truly was, but her hair being blacker than anything else did not help. She pressed a flat palm against her lower abdomen when a sharp pain passed through the area; she groaned. Not today.

Aziza lay in bed covered in a silky robe with her feet propped up. She looked at her roommate. "You okay? You know, if you would just talk to a guy your life would be a lot easier. That Orion guy likes you. What about Kanshero?"

Hazina eased back into bed. When this time of her life came around, she could not stand being a female. Her brown eyes darted to the girl watching her. "A woman's body is the greatest gift she has to give her lover. Only when I'm fully bonded will I share my body with my partner."

"Well, if your sister's bonding was rejected, how do you know bonding will work for you?"

"I refuse to be some man's pin cushion." She pulled her covers up to her chin. "I know that the temperature is pleasant for you, but I find it irritating. You have never had it this cold in here."

"God, Zina! It got hot. Computer, increase temperature by ten degrees. When does your sister arrive? Did you tell her I was in my fourth year?"

"I told her what was important. Lights off." Hazina turned to the wall and pressed her face into her pillow.

"You know, I've been with Frederick for over a year now. This is the first time I've brought him here."

Hazina turned to her with raised eyebrows. "Third. The first time was in the month of February when some Earth holiday was being celebrated. I noticed that my bed spread had been rumpled and there was a brown wool sock in the corner. The second time--"

"Okay! Go back to sleep." Aziza playfully hit her with a pillow as she went into the bathroom.

The lights in the classroom seemed to be making her head feel like it was a missile waiting to go into space. She had been greatly relieved when her classes had ended for the day. Her brown eyes remained straight as she stood waiting for her sister's shuttle. The long sleeved shirt she wore got her many strange looks from the people walking by, but she simply ignored them. While she had become more comfortable with her emotions, Hazina found it annoying to be overly emotional in public. She stood straight and smoothed her hands down the front of her white shirt and pressed khaki slacks. Her eyes landed on her sister's smiling face before the shuttle even stopped. The girl jumped off the transport straight into Hazina's arms. She ran her fingers through her sister's curly hair and pulled away from her quickly. After taking two of her bags, they walked towards the dorms.

"I've missed you a lot, Hazina. Why do you have to be so smart?" Shi"Kahr's voice had increased two levels in pitch since the last time she had seen her.

"I know you hate that you did not get accepted into the science academy, but you will like it here." Hazina replied.

"What did you do here over the summers?"

"Take classes. That is why I will be finishing in at the end of this year." She took her sister's hand when she reached for her.

"Ko-kai, Solin will not be here to help with my emotions. Grandfather has helped me prepare by teaching me how to meditate on my own. I miss Solin. A woman on the spacecraft grabbed my hand when I hesitated in taking hers. Her mind was filled with so much anger and jealousy."

Hazina inhaled deeply and draped an arm over her sister's shoulders. There was no way she could protect her from the craziness of hand shaking, but Hazina had found that exposing her ears actually made people more understanding. She stared at her sister's shoulder length hair. "I see grandfather made you cut your hair again."

Shi'Kahr blushed slightly. "I cut it myself. When you left, grandfather no longer reminded us to cut our hair. Silon cut his as short as he could. So, I cut mine to the shortest length I could manage without looking like a male. It has grown after two years, I cut it even two days ago on the spacecraft."

"You are beautiful." Hazina nodded to several people she recognized as she led her sister into the dorm.

Aziza sat on the couch with a purple PADD clasped in her hands. She looked over to the two of them. "Great! Wow…You look nothing like your sister. You look more Vulcan."

The girl lifted her eyebrows. She bowed slightly. "I am Shi'Kahr of Vulcan."

"I'm Aziza Umbah. I'm your sister's roommate." Aziza smiled widely.

Shi'Kahr looked to her sister questioningly. "You have mates in the rooms? This is not acceptable--"

"God, no! I just share a room with her." Aziza snickered before looking at the floor. This girl was off worse than Hazina had been.

"Interesting."

Although it was easy for emotions to come across her sister's face, Hazina realized that what she did not want to happen had obviously occurred. She inhaled deeply and decided it would be better if she waited until they were in their quarters before she mentioned it. Aziza bounced ahead of them humming a song. She slid a white card through the access board and handed the card to Shi'Kahr as the door swooshed open.

Aziza walked in with the PADD against her chest. With a dramatic sweep of her hand, she said, "Welcome home…do you have a nickname?"

"Call her Vahk." Hazina nodded when Aziza easily repeated the word. "Who is her roommate?" She began to remove her sister's things from her bags.

"Umm a human girl names Cecil! She is Italian and is allergic to roses…" Aziza stared at the long list. "She needs to be quarantined." She sat on the empty bed and watched them unpack. "Time for dinner!"

Hazina paid close attention to her sister as they walked in the open. She had pulled her shoulder length hair back into a tight ponytail at the back of her head. She wanted her hair to match Hazina's, but Hazina preferred bangs that were longer than Shi'Kahr was accustomed to. The girl stopped and stared at a short pair of pants a blond girl wore as she walked by. Shi'Kahr frowned and said, "those pants are two inches shorter than regulation allows."

"Yeh. Classes haven't started yet, kid." Aziza slapped Shi'Kahr on the shoulder gently and moved ahead of them.

"Why do they hit palms like that? Do they not hold this as an action of endear--"

"Earth people are very different from us." Hazina took note that someone was poking the ball of hair on the back of her head. She turned to find Kanshero smiling at her and holding a shiny green apple in one hand. Her eyes darted to the cart where the customary sign hung informing the occupants that the fruit were all gone for the day. She took the apple from him and offered a small smile. "Thank you."

"You are very welcome." His eyes lingered on her face before he looked at Shi'Kahr.

"This is my sister. Shi'Kahr, this is Kanshero. He's my friend."

"Oh, come on!" He rolled his eyes and reached to shake Shi'Kahr's hand, but Hazina stepped in the way and he hit her arm instead. "Sorry."

"Did you not read that book I suggested, Kanshero?" Hazina began to walk away.

The man rubbed his head and slapped his forehead in frustration. He reached into his pocket and offered Shi'Kahr a kiwi. "I am sorry. It's easy to forget. I cannot see your ears, but you are her sister, so it was still stupid. Sorry. Sorry."

"You are a cadet?" Shi' Kahr stared at the food before her with her eyebrows furrowed. She leaned towards a yellow substance. "What is this?"

"Pasta with lots of cheese. You will enjoy it." Hazina pushed a bowl of macaroni onto her sister's try along with a bowl of bean soup.

"To answer your question, no. I am a lieutenant in the tactical division. Hence my gold shirt. I shoot the weapons. I can also fly a ship."

"Please do not start Kanshero with his bragging." Hazina sat across from Aziza.

"I am trying to impress only one woman. Do you know it took your sister four months to even agree to talk to me? Four months!" He held up four fingers towards Shi'Kahr.

Shi'Kahr stared at him but did not know what kind of response to give him. When she smiled and picked up her spoon, she felt like a complete idiot. Her mother had talked to her for hours the day before from the Enterprise. How had all her calmness gone away so quickly? She looked at Hazina who was watching her but eating at the same time. How was she able to keep up with her emotions so easily?

She did not understand why her sister was so troubled. Kanshero stayed with them for several minutes before he left with his friends. Hazina stopped eating and watched her sister with curious eyes. She knew Shi'Kahr hated being treated like a science project, but she could not help the ideas popping into her head. With a quick inhalation of breath, she pushed the irritating thoughts away and focused on the simple fact that her sister was now with her.

"It's better to meditate in the bathroom when your roommate goes to sleep." Hazina sat on her bed flipping through one of Aziza's useless magazines. Aziza was majoring in engineering.

"What color sweater will I get?" Shi'Kahr sat on the edge of Aziza's bed.

"What do you want to focus on?"

"Becoming a captain like Uncle Jim." Shi'Kahr nodded thoughtfully.

"You get gold like Kanshero. Shi'Kahr, I know this is strange, but meditate tonight. Push these emotions away. I noticed that you went further into the rituals in an attempt to purge your emotions."

"I completed the rituals. It was embarrassing, Hazina. I felt wonderful until I woke up one morning filled with so much emotion that all I could do was weep." Shi'Kahr sighed loudly. "My life has been based on three failures: bonding, purging my emotions, and rejection of the science academy. I may look more Vulcan than you, but that is all I have."

"Shi'Kahr, I am glad this failed. You would not be Vahk if it had." She pulled her sister into a warm hug. "Do not let the failure you have experienced on Vulcan follow you here. You have a chance to start anew. Take it."

"Ashau, Ko-kai." Shi'Kahr's voice was comforting against the side of her face.

"Yes." She pressed a warm kiss against the side of her sister's face and allowed her emotions to flow through the both of them. Contentment, happiness, and acceptance moved between the two of them like thick ropes. Her grip on her sister's shoulders tightened when Shi'Kahr began to weep. She would be strong enough for the both of them.

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_**A/N:**_ _**Someone commented in a review that I did not incorporate any African culture into the story. I've noted several times that Hazina and her siblings were raised on Vulcan. The only "holiday" they celebrated was birthdays, and that's because their mother insisted on this.**_


	10. Father's Child

The room was annoyingly cool as Hazina took her place at the science center of the simulation. She tapped her fingers on the metal console gently as her eyes swept the buttons and screens for the second time ever. Her father had programmed this machine. She knew pride was an illogical and human emotion, but she allowed herself to feel this emotion for the simple fact that she could; was she not more human than Vulcan? With a slight flick of her head, which caused the hair on the back of her head to come unbound and tumble down her back in a slightly tangled ponytail, her gaze was met by a slightly nervous Kanshero.

It was his second time taking the test. Although she had not been present the first time he took it, she had been able to understand when he explained what happened. He had panicked beyond belief and ruined the entire mission. After he had explained the simulation in as much detail as he could remember, and after much coaxing from Hazina, he had retired to his room. Hazina had been left standing in the middle of the gym pondering the point of such a simulation that seemed impossible to beat. When a ball from the volleyball game going on a few feet away from her slammed into her back, she had a sudden jerk of realization. The fear on the girl's face as she reached for the ball made everything clear. The simulation was all about fear and maintaining one's ability to think during such crises.

She nodded to him before turning back to the console. While she did not know anything about God or praying, Hazina found herself hoping that Kanshero would be able to pass the simulation this time. Her eyes followed the last person to be involved in the test before she gave her friend one last glance. She swallowed and found that her throat had tightened. Why was she suddenly nervous for him? Her eyes fluttered closed as she pushed the meaningless emotion away. Being nervous would get neither of them anywhere.

While she enjoyed actually interacting with Kanshero and hearing his nervous laughter through the entire ordeal, which took 2.49 hours, Hazina found herself staring at the console before her. She offered Kanshero a bow of congratulations when the proctors told him that he had passed. He pulled her into a tight hug and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before pulling away and fleeing. Hazina cleared her throat and turned to the man standing closest to her.

"Admiral Marshall, there is a glitch on the science console. The numbers read accurately the second time they flash." She stared at him blankly.

"But you read them the way they should have been." He stared at her.

She readjusted her ponytail so that her hair was back into the tight bun at the back of her head. "It was only logical that I adjust the numbers to persuade my peer that the ship was indeed in danger. I assure you, the problem can be fixed with a simple--"

"Who are you?" He stared at her with furrowed eyebrows. His eyes widened slightly when he spied her pointed ears. "You're their kid."

"If you are referring to Commanders Spock and Uhura then, yes, I am." She clasped her hands behind her back.

"Would you be interested in fixing this problem for us?" He took a step towards her.

Her eyes slowly moved around the simulation room. While she had noticed the glitch in the science console, she would have to see the test being taken from the outside. She explained this to the man. He led her from the room and down the hall to his office. He picked up a memory stick and urged her to follow him again. They sat in darkness until the computer flickered on and began to replay the entire experience. Her eyes focused on the consoles in the other divisions.

"There is simply something blocking the ROM of the overall memory supply of the simulation. Still there could be some kind of small…" She turned to him with raised eyebrows. "Who has access to that memory stick? Is it the only one you use for the simulations?"

"We take this memory stick to the administrators and they copy it then return it to us empty. We change memory sticks every month." He handed her the small piece of technology when she reached for it.

Her fingers began moving across the keyboard swiftly as soon as the screen pulled up. Her brown eyes widened slightly as she breezed through the encrypted information. The muscles in her face tensed as she suddenly stopped typing. "There is information on this memory stick that should not have been here. The information contained a small…" She could not think of the correct word. "I think an archaic word for this is a trojan. It was attached to the file so that it would be destroyed."

"How were you able to open it then?"

"I grew up around technology more advanced than this, sir." She stood and handed him the memory stick. "I would suggest changing memory sticks before every simulation. Also, the problem has been transferred to the simulation. Perhaps you should contact my father." She nodded.

"You cannot fix it?" He frowned.

"I could try, but I would prefer it if I could view the original programming." She released a sigh that went unnoticed. "I will contact my father later."

"Thank you." The Admiral took the memory stick and sat down in his seat heavily.

His actions had caused Hazina to believe that he was responsible for the entire ordeal. She glanced at him over her shoulder before she closed the door. Her boots made soft clicking noises as she walked quickly down the hall. She stepped out into the cool November air and allowed herself to wallow in the warmth from the sun. The walk to her room was quiet and somewhat dull to Hazina. She went into the room and sat on her bed. Perhaps her father was off shift and she could talk to him before he went to sleep. She set up the communication links as the replicator produced a cup of steaming tea. His face appeared on her screen as she was lifting her drink. She placed the cup on the counter and lifted her hands in the traditional greeting.

"Your call is unexpected. I am pleased to see you are well." His eyes flicked to something behind the screen.

"Father, an error that I fear may be growing, has been found in the Kobayashi Maru."

Spock's attention snapped back to the computer screen. "I did not know you were interested in being a captain."

"I was commanding science officer for Kanshero Matazuma. This was his second attempt at the test, and he succeeded. There was a glitch in my console. Also, I found that a parasite must be cause of this due to an infected memory stick." She tilted her head when she saw a curtain of black hair. Her mother's face appeared on the screen. "Hello, mother."

She smiled widely as she grabbed something from the desk. "Hello, daughter. Don't let me interrupt you two." She gave Spock a quick kiss on the cheek before she disappeared. "There's soup for you in the refrigerator. Eat it." Her mother's voice floated over from wherever she was.

After the sound of the door closing, her father turned back to the screen. "I am uploading files to you as we speak. I do not understand how the Admiral could allow something so careless to happen."

"If I cannot fix it?" She looked at her father with something akin to hopelessness in her eyes. If her bangs were not long enough to cover her eyebrows, he would have noticed that they were lifted.

"You and your sister should be able to complete the project quickly. After you have reassessed the situation, but find you cannot come up with a solution, simply send me another message." He pressed a button on the keyboard. "The transmission is complete. I have an hour before I am scheduled to return to the bridge. Do you need anything else?"

Hazina wanted to tell him no, but she could not help but think that now would be a very logical time for her to talk to him about her obvious successful bonding to Kyleth and her attraction to Kanshero. If anyone could understand, it would be he. After little debate and finding that the time was inappropriate, she shook her head. "I will contact you at another time. Live long and prosper, father."

"And you, daughter." He gave her a small smile before the screen went black.

She stood from her quickly accessed the files he sent her and studied them. Without hesitation, she forwarded the files, in an encrypted message, to her sister. She continued to study to commands and input values when she heard a knock at the door. She looked up to find Kanshero and Aziza strutting into the room. Her eyes lingered on their smirking faces before she looked at the screen again. She pointedly ignored the fact that the room was completely silent. Only after she had successfully read the string of information three times, and remembered it thoroughly, did she allow herself to look up. Kanshero and Aziza stood in the small kitchen appearing to have a heated conversation. Hazina clicked on the file of her mother singing and blocked out their voices before she could even pick them up.

Shi'Kahr appeared at the door exactly 17.43 seconds later with her messenger bag carrying her laptop draped over her chest. Her brown eyes took in the scene before her. Her sister sat at the desk staring at the computer screen while Kanshero and Aziza talked a few feet away in the kitchen. She smiled when she recognized the gentle music she heard; her mother's strong voice recited Vulcan poetry to her father's playing with great fluidity. She placed her bag on Aziza's bed and stepped behind her sister. She had already broken down part of the character input for the software. Shi'Kahr smiled and presented a memory stick to her sister. "I have done the last tenth of the characters. Did father send it this way to make our endeavor more interesting?"

Her sister's darker, but brilliantly brown, eyes looked up at her with emotions of annoyance and confusion. She pulled her sister to her gently and pointed to a particularly complex equation on the screen. She looked at her two friends in the kitchen to find Kanshero enveloping Aziza in a tight hug. An emotion she did not recognize began to grow in the pit of her stomach. Her fingers brushed her sister's hand as she reached for the memory stick.

"They are simply talking about the fact that Aziza is failing her most needed engineering course. She must score a ninety percent on the final to complete the class." Shi'Kahr's index finger, which was painted the color of orange sherbert, brushed the screen. "That feeling, ko-kai, is called jealousy. It is illogical and useless." She stood and brushed her hands down her hair. She turned on her heels and walked towards her laptop.

"Your body temperature has risen by one point eight degrees since the last time you were on Vulcan. Perhaps this is part of your aging?" Shi'Karh looked at her sister over the top of her computer monitor. "You have also grown two inches."

She looked at her sister with a somewhat annoyed expression. Only Shi'Kahr would get enjoyment out of pointing out things that annoyed her. "Vahk." Too bold. Again, Hazina was reminded that she was stronger than her sister, but she did not playfully accost people in such a manner. Her eyes moved back to the screen when she realized she had been reading the equation incorrectly. Aha. She looked at her sister to find the girl typing. "I hope you are continuing in your former fashion of deconstructing the characters from the bottom."

"Only logical, Hazina." She did not look up from her computer screen.

"Hey! Let's go for pizza." Kanshero stood in the middle of the room with his hands clasped. When neither sister looked up from her laptop, he looked to Aziza.

"Take Shi'Kahr with you. Her weakened state is a sign of lack of nourishment." Hazina spoke without derailing her eye's gaze.

"I do not like pizza." Shi'Kahr made the statement in a matter of fact voice.

"How about both of you come?" Kanshero's voice held slight merriment. He leaned towards Hazina's computer screen. "What are you doing? That looks like some heavy stuff."

Hazina's head snapped up. Aziza smiled and explained before she could even make the demand. "It looks complex."

"It is a project my sister and I have undertaken." Hazina looked at the computer again. It would take days, possibly even two weeks for them to break down the equations and commands. It was, indeed, a fascinating task. Her fingers stopped on the keys suddenly when she recalled something her mother had said to her during one of her transmissions. It was only fair that she be supportive of her friends. She clicked several buttons before the laptop began to shut down. She stood and nodded once to her sister. "We shall accompany you."


	11. Something must be Happening

_**I have no stock in anything related to Star Trek.**_

The men standing on the shuttle found it absolutely amazing that two of the most beautiful girls on the transport were dressed as if they were living in New York rather than San Francisco autumn. While those around them were comfortable in their simple attire of thin long sleeved shirts and long pants, Hazina had opted for a lavender colored v-neck sweater with khaki slacks and a tan colored leather jacket. Her sister was dressed in a thick gray sweater that looked like a turtleneck and black jeans. The black boots she wore had thin four inch heels. Both of them had their hair pulled back to show the smooth, similar angles of their faces.

Kanshero sat beside Hazina trying to focus straight ahead instead of constantly sneaking peeks at her. Aziza had made it her business to dress in a thin strapped red dress that was as short as the Starfleet uniforms. The straps on the black heels she wore wove up her legs to her calves. He had stared at the shoes for the entire walk to the shuttle. Why had she dressed like that just to go to the pizza place around the corner?

The place was crowded; he had known it would be. He ushered them to a table on the east side of the room. The smile on his face widened with each familiar person he came across. His arm slid around Hazina's waist as he pulled her chair out for her. The look she gave him was one of complete distaste. She sat down and nearly yanked the chair from the boy who had come over when he saw Shi'Kahr. Her hand gripped the chair tightly as she slid it towards her sister. Her brown eyes fell upon the boy's face when she realized he was still standing there. He smiled stupidly at her sister but took a cautious step back. He cleared his throat and went back to the three boys waiting in the corner.

"Hazina, Shi'Kahr is an adult. Let her have some fun." Aziza's attention was on the communicator she was currently posting a message on.

"On the contrary, Aziza, my sister has little experience with Earth customs. I am aware of Cadet Lenard's record." Hazina glanced at her sister who appeared to be mesmerized by the vividly green hair of the girl sitting at the table adjacent to theirs.

"You know him?" Aziza closed the communicator.

"He is the former companion of my advanced xenobiology partner. She accused him of cheating no less than five times. She also claims to have caught him in compromising positions with three different women." She eased out of her jacket when she noticed the rise in temperature.

"She told you all of this?" Aziza leaned forward with her elbows on the table.

Hazina could not ignore the quick glance Kanshero gave Aziza's chest as he stood. She blinked. "I heard her calling him before class on the five different occasions. The last part, however, she did tell me in an attempt to explain why she was failing so horrible in completing her half of our assignments."

"She was lucky to have you as a lab partner. I bet you did the entire assignment on your own."

"That was only logical, if she wanted to maintain her current score in the class." Shi'Kahr's voice was gentle yet strong. She turned to Kanshero. "Come with me to the counter. I want to look at this food before I eat it."

She bit back a smile as her friend obliged her sister. With her head turned to Aziza, she watched as the girl continued to quickly message whoever she spoke to. If Hazina had never watched Shi'Kahr on a keyboard, the swift movement of Aziza's fingers would have been fascinating to her. Her back went rigid when her sister's voice floated over to their table. Although it appeared the younger girl was trying to talk low enough to not be heard by her sister's sensitive ears, she failed. Her words were precise and almost bitter as she told Kanshero that he was blatantly disrespecting her sister when he gave Aziza such appraising looks. She then deemed him unworthy of any type of affection Hazina had ever considered posing towards him.

They came back to the table with two different expressions: Kanshero looked utterly angry and confused, and Shi'Kahr looked pleased with herself. Instead of acknowledging either of their strange behavior, she simply ordered a pizza that was half vegetable and half supreme. A boy sitting behind Aziza caught her attention when he waved. She realized suddenly that he was the boy she was currently tutoring. She acknowledged him with a slight bow of her head. He rolled his eyes and wandered over to their table.

"You look pleasant." He stared at her shamelessly.

"Hello, Kaplan." She spoke the words without emotion. She motioned to the people around her. "This is Aziza Umbha, Lieutenant Kanshero Matazuma, and my sister Shi'Kahr. This is Lev Kaplan."

He looked at Kanshero. "It is nice to meet you all. I didn't know you got promoted to lieutenant!"

"That stupid two month mission we did that summer? They had me as helmsman although I hadn't passed that insane test yet. I passed today, mind you." Kanshero slapped palms with the boy that now leaned over Shi'Kahr.

Her sister stood abruptly, knocking the chair away and causing Kaplan to stumble. She looked at Hazina. "I think I will go to the restroom."

"You…think?" Kaplan stared at her with wide eyes. His face was suddenly covered with anger when he realized that several males were staring at him. He cleared his throat. "And what do you mean by pushing me like that?" The anger on his face evaporated to shame when Shi'Kahr turned and began to walk towards the bathroom. He reached for her hand.

Kanshero's hand fell upon his wrist. "The last thing you want to do is look for trouble with that one." He appeared to shudder as he turned towards the counter. The boy he was talking to rolled his eyes and retreated. He sighed loudly and scratched his head as his eyes fell upon Hazina's expressionless face. "I'm sorry if my behavior--"

"Your apology is not needed. I am not offended by anything you have done." She turned her attention to the waitress placing their drinks on the table.

"Whatever." He snatched his drink from the woman and turned away as he muttered a string of curse words in Japanese. Although he thought she could not hear him, he went on to insult her Vulcan heritage.

"I do not understand how insulting my heritage is relevant." She stared at him.

He choked on the soda he was in the process of swallowing. "Since when do you speak Japanese?"

"Since sixteen months ago. I found it would be most beneficial if I was fluent in the languages of the people around me." She looked at the table.

"I'm sorry." He stood and looked at Aziza with sympathetic eyes. "I can't do this anymore." He gave Hazina a lingering look as he left.

Shi'Kahr sat in her chair and did not bother to ask where Kanshero had disappeared to. As a matter of fact, Hazina realized that her sister did not speak again until they were inside their quarters. She was packing up her laptop and looking at Hazina with caring eyes. After she draped her bag over her shoulder and looked to make sure Aziza was in the bathroom, she took a step towards her older sister.

"Kanshero has conflicting emotions. I intentionally brushed his fingers when I led him to the counter. His feelings for you are a strange beige color. Aziza is simply his friend, but he is physically attracted to her." Shi'Kahr spoke with strength behind her words.

"Ko-kai, you know that it is not acceptable for you to do such things." Hazina stood and folded her hands behind her back. She walked around her desk and began to fumble with several articles of clothing in her drawer.

"This information has upset you. I will not tell you about his secret then." Shi'Kahr ignored the look her sister gave her as she exited the room.

Hazina rolled her eyes and crawled into her bed. Her sister had to be one of the most annoying creatures alive! What gave her the gall to do such things to people then assume others wanted to know what was going on? She rolled over onto her stomach and buried her face in her pillow. After pretending to be sleep when Aziza called out to her, she rolled over onto her side and stared at the whiteness of the wall. She needed a good day of meditation soon.

************************************************************************************************************************************************ _**A/N: Kinda short, eh? I love torturing Kanshero. **_


	12. Breathing in a new mentality

_**Don't own anything. Italics mean a change in spoken language. Bold italics mean a flashback. **_

The meditation that Hazina so rightfully hoped for did not seem to be coming anytime soon. As a matter of fact, all of her free time was given to the project she and her sister had undertaken. Sometimes, she spent hours locked in her room with Shi'Kahr pecking away at the computer while their brother chimed in. Aziza had walked in on one of their sessions once. She had stared with wide eyes at the boy gazing at her on the computer screen. Instead of speaking to him, she simply inclined her head and bounced into the bathroom. Hazina took a moment to collect herself after the brief exchange had been made. Her brother's eyes had followed Aziza all the way into the bathroom. He had looked back at them with raised eyebrows. She held back a smile as she leaned forward and corrected a line of characters. Solin was obviously interested in her roommate.

It was nearly two weeks after her father had sent her the information when she and her siblings finally corrected the error in the simulation, updated it, and saved the material to several drives. She had sent a copy to her father and opened up a communication line with them as soon as Solin had returned from his conference with their grandfather. Shi'Kahr sat on the bed dressed in a purple knee length tunic with white tights. Her hair was loose at her shoulders. Her face was covered with happiness when several people appeared on the other communication line. She turned her laptop so that she, Hazina, and Solin could be seen. Hazina adjusted the red sweater she wore and sat straight in her chair.

Instead of the one or two faces they expected to see, they were surprised, in their own ways, to see five. Hazina stood and leaned towards the laptop with her eyes narrowed. "Father, mother, Uncle Jim, Uncle Len, and Uncle Hikaru. It is a pleasure to see your faces."

"Hello, father." Solin and Shi'Kahr spoke in unison. "Mother and others."

Jim looked between the screen and the short haired girl. "You two really creep me out when you do that."

"To what do we owe the communication?" Spock looked at his three children.

"This is the customary time for our call, father. Also, we would like to inform you of our completion of the changes and upgrade of the Kobayashi Maru. We have sent the files to you. I hope it is to your satisfaction." She sat on her chair and continued to stare at the people gazing at her. A small smile tugged at her lips. "I know this talk of technology bores you, Uncle Jim and confuses you, Uncle Hikaru. How have you been?"

"Bored." Jim poked his head under Spock's arm and rolled his eyes when his first officer moved away. "Your dad is trying to breeze through your file while we talk. This will be something interesting for him to do. We haven't had any action in over a month."

"Your parents told me that you all know my cousin." Sulu smiled widely. "I have not seen Kanshero in about sixteen years. Since he was six."

"If you remain online long enough, I am certain that he will show up." Shi'Kahr made the statement with slight disdain. Just as she relaxed, the door chimed. Her brown eyes shot towards the direction of the door. "As expected."

Hazina stared at her sister. "Enter." She looked back to the screen. "Mother, I have sent you a message as well. And, you, father. I would like your opinions on a personal matter." She sat back in her chair when footsteps stopped at the threshold.

Kanshero smiled. He looked at the boy on the screen then the faces on the laptop. His eyes danced with humor as he looked from Hazina to Shi'Kahr. He chewed on his lower lip as he dropped to his knees with his feet folded underneath him. He stared at the people on the screen. "Hikaru?!!" He burst into laughter. "I have not seen you in ages! What have you been up to?"

"Hello, Kanshero. I am very happy to hear about your last voyage. Congratulations on your promotion to lieutenant. I'm having a very typical day here on the Enterprise. I have to get back to the bridge, but Hazina will give you my number. Goodbye, kids. I miss and love you guys." He waved before he disappeared.

"Uncle Len, I saw your latest paper printed in the medical journal. It was an interesting read." Solin pressed his lips together.

"I've been working on that paper for eighteen years, kid. Thanks to you and your siblings, it will be the first one of its kind." He nodded and smiled. It was actually being turned into a book; a book about the biology of hybrid offspring between human and Vulcans.

"Probably the last as well." Solin sighed and looked at his twin sister. "Shi'Kahr, you disagree?"

"The Vulcan race has increased greatly since the destruction of the first planet, but there are still more men than women. Surely some of those men will realize that it is illogical to remain on Vulcan instead of searching for a mate elsewhere. Because humans are the most bearable of other species, it is also logical to conclude that mating would occur between the two races. If either of the three of us were to mate with a pure human or Vulcan, what would be the result of that?" She stared at her brother with intensity.

Jim laughed. "Uhura, we thought Hazina was the one with your fire, but I think little Kiwi here has taken that badge. She left Solin speechless."

"I am not speechless, Uncle Jim. I was thinking. Any offspring of either of ours will be the just as unique as us, sister. Please try and contain your dislike." He stared at his sister.

"Did you ever think that your bonding was not successful because of the link you share with your brother?" Jim sighed loudly when he saw the look of disappointment on Shi'Kahr's face. "I'm sorry. I think I'll go back to the bridge before I say something else stupid. Bye, kids. Kiwi, don't stress your brother. Hazina, give that guy there a chance. Solin…" Jim shook his head and disappeared.

"I better go as well. It was great talking to you all." McCoy sighed. He had just remembered the idiot that had slammed his hand in the metal door that led to the ship's engine room.

"You want to make the simulation more realistic by allowing the controls to interact with one another?" Spock looked at the screen quickly before his eyes moved back to his laptop.

Uhura smiled. "Let me guess…Shi'Kahr came up with the idea. Hazina created and perfected the equations and command under the strict eye of Solin."

Hazina allowed herself a small smile. "As always, you are correct, Mother." She smiled when her mother beamed with pride; she still knew her children.

"Your father did fifty-two straight hours on the bridge. I'm forcing him to bed. Now." She poked Spock in the arm and said something to him in a language neither of the three recognized. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. After a quick kiss on his cheek, he disappeared.

"Mother, father has not responded to our changes in the simulation." Shi'Kahr looked at her mother expectantly.

"Shi'Kahr, that is irrelevant at this time. Father requires rest." Hazina gave her sister a look that did her mother justice.

She sighed. "I am sorry. I was excited." She pushed her dark hair behind her ear.

Solin sat straight in his chair. Although no one else knew it, he was quite fond of his mother. He called her whenever he had the chance to. So, when he did not say anything to her, Uhura did not find this surprising. However, she did find Hazina defending her so easily as a surprise. She looked at her eldest child with raised eyebrows. "Why are you so defensive?"

Hazina stood and wrapped her arms around her waist. "If father is in need of rest, it is logical that he receive it. Otherwise, his response to our work will not be as effective. Shi'Kahr did not consider this."

"I thought Vulcans could go days without rest." Kanshero spoke from the corner. He was studying a bright red PADD that had Shi'Kahr's name scribbled on it. His brown eyes swept Hazina's figure before he looked back down to the PADD.

"It is possible, but our father is only half Vulcan." Hazina took a bottle of water from the refrigerator and sat on the bed again. She folded her legs underneath her and stared at her mother's face. She wished she was three years old again back on the Enterprise waiting for her mother to place a hot plate of pancakes before her. She smiled at the memory.

"I bet you're thinking of eating blackberry pancakes." Uhura laughed when her daughter's eyes widened. "I miss all of you so much. I can't wait until you graduate, Hazina. We're all going to be there to celebrate." She leaned back in her chair and held back a yawn. "We will respond to your messages as soon as possible. I love all of you. Live long and prosper." She held up her hand in the Vulcan salute.

Hazina looked to her two siblings. Solin appeared to be deeply occupied by something on his lap, and Shi'Kahr was staring into space with round eyes. She lifted her hand to her mother. "We love you, mother. Live long and prosper."

"Goodnight, Mrs. Spock." Kanshero's eyes widened when all three people in the room turned to look at him. Did he say something wrong?

Instead of her mother going into a rant about having her own name, she simply laughed and closed the communication link. Hazina sighed and took another swig from her water. Her brother's eyes were now trained on a picture of Aziza on the wall. She did not say anything to him about this. She simply rolled over onto her side and watched the people around her. The silence was a comfortable one that almost made her sleepy. She rested her chin on her hand and lay flat on her stomach so that she could watch Kanshero.

His dark eyebrows were drawn together in concentration as he stared at Shi'Kahr's PADD with determined eyes. He glanced at her and offered a smile before looking down again. Solin and Shi'Kahr were obviously meditating. Both of them had their eyes closed and breathed in synchronized time. Hazina thought that it would be a perfect time to meditate, but as soon as she closed her eyes, Aziza eased into the room. She gave her friend a brief smile and motioned for her to follow as she went into the bathroom.

Aziza crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed her chin with the back of her hand. She looked nervous. Her tongue darted out her mouth and provided moisture to her lips. A soft breath of exhalation escaped her. Her eyelids fluttered closed as she inhaled deeply. "I have to score damned near perfect on my final exam for Professor Schenitzky." Her arms dropped to her side. Her hazel eyes focused on the floor.

Having lived with Aziza for over two years had taught her how to read her roommate easily. Although Aziza was twenty-two years old and sixteen months older than her, Hazina found that they were similar in many ways. For instance, she knew her friend was no longer worried about passing Commander Schenitzky's class. Hazina had helped her with the last two projects for the class; Aziza achieved almost perfect on each. Aziza simply had to make an eighty percent on the final to pass. Hazina closed her eyes and relieved the tension in her shoulders. Something was wrong. "What is the problem, Aziza? The real problem."

She swallowed and reached to make sure the door was closed. When she spoke next, it was in Swahili. _"I am pregnant."_

"_How did this happen?" _Hazina could not mask the disappointment on her face.

"_Well, Frederick and I had sex and…" _She rolled her eyes_. "I talked to Joanna about this. She told me to come to her within three weeks with my decision." _

"_What is really wrong, Aziza?" _Hazina touched her on the arm. She held Aziza's gaze when she finally looked at her.

"_I am afraid it may be Lieutenant Commander Davies's child. I have been having a sexual relationship with him on and off for a while now. What if I have this child and it has skin like your sister's? Or worse, what if I have this child and it has skin like yours? He would know. I cannot tell him."_

"_You have made your decision. Go to Joanna the first thing tomorrow and get it over with."_

"_You do not think I am a bad person?"_

"_I think what you are doing is logical. Although how you got to this point may have been caused by illogical decisions, the decision you make now will change your life either way. Do you keep this child and finish school…then what? Do you have an abortion and continue with life to serve aboard one of Starfleet's finest ships?" _

"What would you do?" Aziza had slipped back into English. Her hazel eyes searched Hazina's darker ones.

"I would never be in such a situation."

"Pretend."

This, she found hard to do. Hazina frowned and tried to convince herself that she could, in fact, picture herself in such a situation, but she found the idea so absurd that she simply gave up. She looked at Aziza. "I cannot imagine myself in such a situation, but I can tell you that I am against the taking of any life even if it goes against logic. This is your decision. Make it based upon your experiences and needs." She nodded and pulled her friend into an awkward hug. After three seconds, which she deemed was an appropriately timed hug, she released Aziza and went back into their quarters. She sat on the bed and found that everything was just as she left it.

Having Aziza tell her to put herself in such a place had caused fear and denial to rise within her. She sat on the bed staring at the wall until she felt the emotions being peeled away. The butterflies in her stomach went into overdrive when she thought that maybe Kyleth could be behind this. Should she try and connect with him? The very idea made her want to blush. She inhaled deeply; it was illogical for her to feel humiliation for thinking about someone.

She covered her mouth with her hand and allowed herself to smile as she recalled the first time she had met him_. __**She had been four years old and waiting for her grandfather outside one of the newly constructed temples. Her feet were planted squarely before the second pillar from the right as she stared straight ahead. Her gaze was focused on the massive mountains that lay twenty miles north of her location. She looked down at her itching hands. The day before, she had had the misconception that cooling glue would be fun to peel off her palms. Her mother had chewed her out very well over the comm-link. Although she had found it illogical to be afraid of her mother because she was in space, the idea of her mother being angry and punishing her made the hair on her arms stand. The woman was a tyrant ruling with a heavy thumb from a billion dollar starship. Hazina sighed and sat down.**_

_**A Vulcan boy slightly younger than her appeared to be walking towards the temple. His dark eyebrows were together in concentration as his lips moved. Was he talking to himself or chanting? He stopped in his tracks and looked at her with round eyes. It was him! Hazina stood and crossed her arms over her chest. He was the boy that had pushed Vyk'l, a seven year old, away when he had tried to get another emotional response from her. They did the same thing everyday, but the boy standing before her had interrupted them yesterday. They had not accosted her that day. Her brown eyes stared pointedly at his busted lip. Vyk'l had punched him.**_

"_**I am Hazina. My grandfather is Elder Sarek." Her hands fell to her side. When he did not respond, she began to walk towards him with a small smile. "I am thankful that you showed up and helped me yesterday. Vyk'l and his friend have yet to bother me today. I am sorry your lip was hurt in the process." She gave him a full smile.**_

_**He blushed slightly and looked at the ground. "Violence and idle mockery are illogical. I am Kyleth." His dark eyes rose to meet her gaze. He pressed hips lips together; she could tell he was nervous.**_

_**She gasped and pulled her sleeve over her hand as she wiped a trail of green blood from his chin. He turned away from her. Had she done something wrong? "I-I'm sorry." Her arm stretched.**_

"_**Hazina." Her grandfather stood at the top step looking at her with raised eyebrows. Her hand stopped less than five inches away from Kyleth's shoulder. She turned to him with a smile and ran up the stairs to slide her arm through his. She laughed and walked beside him into the temple. Her eyes were glued to Kyleth's tense form. She gasped when he turned and gave her a quick smile before running away. She had laughed and closed the door. The look on her grandfather's face told her that now was not the time to express emotions. She gave him a single nodded and wiped the smile off her face completely. The smile did not return until much later when she was in the comfort and secrecy of her own room. **_

Warmth spread from her stomach to her face. A sigh escaped her as she rested her chin on her palm. Logic had nothing to do with the way thinking about _that _male made her feel. Her eyes rose when Kanshero stood. He placed Shi'Kahr's PADD on the desk lightly so that he would not disturb hers and Solin's meditation. He lifted a piece of paper he held in his hands. **Walk with me. **

_**Thank you guys for reviewing! 3 EmilyWoods and LusciousNesha, you guys are awesomeness. **_


	13. You're ever so inviting

**_Don't own anything related to Star Trek._**

They walked in silence towards the gardens. Hazina knew that Kanshero spent a large amount of time walking around the area when he had thinking to do. She had observed him there on several occasions. What she did not tell anyone, however, was that Kanshero had a problem of being clumsy. He had fallen into the pool with the Andorian lilies on three separate occasions. Also, he had wandered into the pink rose bushes once and almost fallen over. She pressed her lips together to hide the laughter bubbling in the bottom of her stomach. She had, on the occasion, allowed herself to laugh lightly, but that was only because she was in her own company. She looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Look. I have only two more weeks before I graduate. I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself after that." He sucked on his lower lip and began to pace. The boots he wore made soft sounds that mimicked the sound of a door closing. Hazina's brown eyes watched his feet moved from one end of the small path to the other. He stopped and turned to her with a determined expression.

His mouth barely opened when he whispered, "I'm sorry." He cleared his throat and continued. "I may be the son and grandson of important people, but I was nobody when I was growing up. I am still nobody now. I don't like when people know about my father and grandfather. I don't want them to compare us."

He made a strange sound as he turned away and walked five feet down the path. His index finger tapped his chin. "Females make me nervous. Aziza is beautiful, but she is not you. That would be like comparing daisies to Andorian water lilies."

Hazina stiffened slightly when he turned and walked until he was less than two feet away. His eyes searched her face. Was he going to do something that would cause her to use force against him? She took a step back. "I will accept that as a compliment."

His laughter caught her off guard. He covered his face with his hands and groaned loudly. He looked at her through an opening in his fingers. "You are so frustratingly beautiful and fascinating. Please go out for dinner with me tomorrow. It's a Thursday night, I know, but I'm sure you've already prepared your notes for finals. I will have you back by ten at the latest." He inhaled an even breath. "Please."

She blinked and nodded. "I will agree to dinner, but I am holding you to your word that we will return by ten o'clock." She turned towards the rows of sunflowers behind her.

"Wear something nice." He laughed at the look she gave him. With a wave of his hand, he walked away.

Shi'Kahr was gone when she returned to her room. Aziza lay on the bed flipping through her advanced engineering III book. She gave Hazina a look as she moved about the room looking for a pair of shoes. Hazina ignored her friend as she kicked off her boots and crawled into bed with a slight yawn. She had been awake for fifty hours. With a sigh, she fell flat on her back and stared at the ceiling. She closed her eyes and began to picture herself in the meditation room at her grandfather's home. Gentle warmth began in her mind and slowly moved through her blood until her body temperature had increased by two degrees. The swirls of colors she found herself surrounded by began to dull. She cautiously pushed them further into her mind. She found herself bombarded with a huge cloud of yellow. Her mental self looked around the room of her mind with a look of frustration.

The floor beneath her disappeared suddenly. She was too shocked to scream, so she simply allowed herself to fall until strong arms wrapped around her. Her brown eyes gazed into obsidian orbs. Her heart thundered in her chest while she realized that she was no longer falling. Strong calmness came over her. He pressed his forehead against hers. Hazina sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck. Would the only time they saw one another be during meditation? She pulled away from him and allowed herself to smile. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against her gently. She felt a sudden fluttering in the pit of her stomach. Breaking the kiss, she pushed her face into his neck to hide a blush. He placed her down gently.

She knew from the expression he wore that he wanted to speak. He was Vulcan; why were there expressions on his face? She took a step towards him and extended her hands. He hesitated before grasping them. Emotions she could have never imagined poured into her with enough strength to knock her to her knees. She wrapped her arms around her waist and tried to calm the quickness of her breathing. His hands moved up her arms and rested upon each cheek. Her brown eyes darted between the yellow and purple growing behind him.

"_**The idea of sharing you with someone else does not please me." **_His dark eyes appeared to become even darker, a feat Hazina had thought impossible. He dropped to his knees before her. _**"I have held your emotions for you all these years. I have held both of us." **_He wrapped his arms around her waist.

The silence was interrupted when the purple behind them began to grow until it spilled over them. The small haze of yellow began to grow as well. Hazina rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes. Her body relaxed against the hardness of his until she felt herself almost merging with him. When she opened her eyes, the room was colored in yellow with blots of purple.

"_**Even my jealousy cannot defeat the love that I have for you, Hazina." **_He sighed rather loudly and pulled away from her. _**"I will give you time to deal with your emotions for the human." **_

She was jolted from her meditation when something hard hit her head. Her hands fell upon the place as she sat up straight in bed. Aziza looked at the floor and pretended to be interested in the pattern. She simply pointed to the boy standing in the foyer in front of the door. Jamison! She grabbed his PADD from the desk and took it to him quickly. After thanking her profusely, he left the room in a flourish. Hazina wobbled back to the bed with her hand pressed against her forehead. She rubbed her temples with her index and middle fingers.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit you that hard." Aziza gave her an apologetic look.

"This pain is mental, Aziza." She crawled back into the bed and pulled her covers up to her shoulders. Why had disconnecting from Kyleth been so painful that time? Her brown eyes moved to the clock. It had been 5.34 hours since her mother had forced her father to sleep. She gripped the pillow against her tightly. So, the agitation she had felt the day before could have been caused by Kyleth. What had he meant about holding her emotions for so long? She stared at the wall until realization dawned upon her like cold water.

When she was fifteen, she had been accosted by a female Vulcan named T'Ker that made the suggestion that she, Hazina, leave school and return to Earth. Hazina had been hurt by the comment, but when she had opened her mouth to reply with an emotional comment, she had found herself unable to speak. It was the second time in her life unexplained calmness had come over. She had simply closed her mouth and walked away. It was nearly fifteen minutes later when she ran into Kyleth. He had stared at her with his jaw clenched. His dark eyes had gazed at her with an emotion he quickly erased, but thinking back on it, Hazina realized that it had been disdain and anger.

She closed her eyes. He had been taking her emotions and giving her his complacency for many years. For this, she found herself filled so much appreciation and fascination for him that she could hardly force herself to go to sleep. While she was interested in Kanshero, she knew that little would come from her actually allowing herself to care for him more than she did. She sat up and stared at Aziza, who was busy painting her toenails dark green.

"I have found that I have feelings for Kyleth, but I also have feelings of interest for Kanshero." Hazina pursed her lips.

"Which one would you prefer?" Aziza leaned forward and blew on her toenails.

"I am bonded to Kyleth. He has cared for me all this time. I am overcome with appreciation and gratification for him. When I think of him I have strange feelings in the pit of my stomach." She blinked before looking at her hands. Her index finger brushed her lips.

"Do you have this feeling for Kanshero?"

"No, I am actually nervous when I am near him." The truth of the statement sent her into a small reverie.

"Like I said the last time, stick with Kyleth. Besides, Kanshero may not even be here after finals. Who knows where he will go? Did you know he spent the entire year on a starship after he graduated from MIT? The guy has skills. And in case you're confused, he's also a genius by our standards. He graduated from high school at sixteen and went to MIT. He graduated from there in three years. He served on one of their ships for a year. Then, he came here. His twenty-third birthday is in a week." Aziza gave Hazina a strange smile as she began to paint the nails on her other foot.

"Fascinating." She fell flat onto her back and stared at the ceiling until she fell asleep.

~8~

Her brown eyes gazed at her friend with a look of disapproval. Aziza was in the process of curling her long hair, but Hazina had insisted that she would wear it in a bun. Why should she change her appearance so much when Kanshero was used to her looking a certain way? She pulled her hair, which nearly reached her waist, into a high ponytail and wrapped it around the holder and pinned it in place. She slapped Aziza's hand away when she brushed a line of red on her cheek. After Aziza pleaded with her, she allowed her to write on her eyes with the black pencil and brush the red power along her cheeks. She was surprised to find that she did look more appealing with the make-up. With a curt nod to her friend, she stood.

"If you wear those heels, you and Kanshero will be the same height. You're like five-eleven and all legs." Aziza picked up a pair of shoes that were made like boots but stopped at the ankles. She held them out to Hazina. "These are perfect. I love that dress. Where do you and your sister get them from?"

Hazina wore a thick black sweater dress that had a wide neck. The dress stopped two inches above her knees and hugged her body. While she was against such apparel, her mother's friend Gaila had sent the dresses to her a Shi'Kahr from a shop on Orion. She would make sure to ask Gaila to send one for Aziza the next time they talked. Standing in front of the mirror, she deemed herself ready. After Aziza gave her a beaming smile and a tight hug, she pulled on her black coat and turned to the door just as it chimed. Aziza ran to open it. She clapped happily as she led Kanshero inside.

Not only had he cut his hair, which had been longer than regulation allowed, he had also shaved. Hazina pushed her hands into her pockets and forced her nervousness to the back of her mind. She would be fine. She would be fine. He handed her a clear glass bowl with two miniature pink lilies floating in water. She smiled and placed the bowl on the table beside her bed. After a gentle push from Aziza, she followed him out the door. She frowned at a man that whistled at her as he walked past them. This was going to be a complete and utter mistake.

Kanshero was so nervous to the point that he found himself unable to speak. He was thankful that he had gotten the chance to stare at Hazina while she put the flowers away. She had to have the most amazing legs ever; Frederick had been correct. Frederick. He rolled his eyes when he thought about what his brother had tried to convince him to do. If Aziza had a secret, it was none of his business. He sat in the seat beside Hazina and crossed his arms over his chest. She was just a woman. Okay, he had been on only three dates before, but he was still a man!

He looked at her out the corner of his eye. She stared straight ahead with a stoic expression. His hands turned into fists. What exactly was he expecting from all of this? Not sex. He had had sex on several occasions and found that it was pointless and messy. Also, Hazina looked like the kind of girl that would not have sex with any man until she was married. He sighed and moved in his seat when she looked at him. Okay. He was taking her to eat at the only Japanese restaurant he knew of then he was going to surprise her. He pressed his lips together; she would enjoy the last part more than anything.

They sat in the restaurant gazing at one another until Hazina asked, "Why did you choose a Japanese restaurant?" Her eyes took in the pleasantness of the place.

The floor was covered in deep red carpet. The tables were round and each set for two to four occupants. Beautiful white tulips encased in thin, tube like vases sat in the center of the table. The tablecloth was ivory linen with different floral patterns. Her fingers brushed the material to find that is was linen. The different tradition black Japanese symbols painting on the red walls intrigued her. Her brown eyes stared at each on, saving them to memory.

"I want you to experience some of the food I grew up eating. You will like it. I know you're a vegetarian. It's all vegetables." He grinned at her. His eyes wandered to the waitress walking by dressed in oriental attired with her hair done up in buns with gold combs and pins sticking out of the beautiful mass. He sighed.

Her gaze fell to the table. He was more attractive in the brightness of the restaurant than he had been in the hall of their dorm. Her nervousness was pushed to the corner of her mind again as she looked at him. What was it about him that made her so nervous? "I have recently been informed of your educational achievements."

He laughed nervously. "Aziza told you, didn't she? I don't talk about that stuff. It sounds more like boasting than anything. Would you like to talk about your achievements? I heard about the presentation you are making before the administration and heads of the commands division."

"You are correct; talking about such things sound too much like boasting." She looked at him and forced a smile. She lifted the glass before her and took a sip of the clear liquid. It filled her nose with bubbles. Her eyes widened in surprise; it tasted good, but it was the bubbles that interested her. She took another sip.

"So, did you get bonded when you were younger?"

The question caught her off guard. She swallowed loudly and placed her glass on the table. "Yes. My family's name is one of the most prominent on Vulcan. Bonding is a tradition those families of high ranking continues to carry."

"I read the about thirty-five percent of Vulcan are bonded at that age. I had hoped you were one of the sixty-five percent." He gulped down the drink in two swallows.

"My grandfather thought it would be beneficial to me to do it. We all assumed the bonding did not work…"

"But it did. So, you're like married?" Kanshero drained the glass again and filled it.

"I think you should stop before you are drunk." Her eyebrows disappeared behind her bangs. She sighed when he lifted the glass and drank until it was empty. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Why couldn't you tell me you were married before I wasted my time making a fool of myself and trying to get you to like me?" He rested his chin on his fist as he stared at her. Although his face looked calm, she could see the anger brewing in his eyes. He blinked at her as his middle finger traced the rim of the glass before him.

Her lips parted slightly, but she did not respond to him. Instead, she stood and went to the bathroom. She was embarrassed. With a sigh, she leaned against the counter and stared at herself in the large mirror. -two. Two-three. Two-three. She inhaled deeply and exhaled until she thought her lungs would give out. She could do this. She had experienced worse than this. Her hand trembled as she reached up and brushed away a tear. Her hands formed into fists; she was angry. The shoes she wore clicked on the floor loudly as she began to pace the bathroom.

The dull peach color of the walls and the black marble of the floor were not calming to her on any level. Her eyes darted between the motion sensitive paper provider and sink. Her hand brushed her cheek as she began to pace again. Okay, resuming counting technique. It failed before she even reached twenty. The floor was almost slippery when her feet stopped in their progress. She called her mother.

"Hello, Hazina, I slipped away from the bridge to answer your call. How are you?" Her mother's soft and happy voice calmed her slightly.

"Hello, mother, I am calling because I am currently in the bathroom of a restaurant and filled with anger I cannot seem to push away." Her voice trembled at the end of the sentence. She pressed her forehead against the cool wall, which smelled like bleach and flowers.

"Did you try the counting technique I taught you?" Uhura asked gently.

"I have tried that, mother."

"Who are you eating dinner with?" She could hear the concern in her mother's voice.

"Kanshero. He is angry. His accusations against me have me upset, but I am angrier than I should be." She pressed her hand against the wall and turned away when a woman walked into the restroom.

"Perhaps you perceive some of Kyleth's emotions. You did say the bond between you two was strong. Try to meditate."

"_It would be completely illogical and a waste of time to meditate in this bothersome bathroom! The music is annoying and it smells strongly of bleach and cheap perfume."_ Her voice rose slightly as she began to speak in Vulcan.

"Well, return to your dorm." Nyota's voice was filled with contained frustration.

"_In the time that it would take me to get back to my dorm room, I will have probably broken something in frustration. Do you not have any helpful suggestions?" _

"Yes, I do. Stop talking to me with such agitation before I beam back to Earth and--"

"Hello?" Her father's voice came over the phone. She could hear her mother speaking in Orion in the background.

"_Father, I am having trouble containing my anger and frustration. I fear I have upset mother."_

"She understands. Explain what happened." His voice sounded far away when he replied to something her mother said.

She inhaled deeply. _"I am at a restaurant having dinner with Kanshero. He appears to be angry because I did not explain that I was bonded. He accused me of withholding this information." _

"Go into one of the stalls and meditate. Do not tell me that it is impossible. Try it. If you somehow are able to establish a link with Kyleth, ask him for assistance." Spock's voice held a demanding tone.

"Yes, sa-mekh." She powered off her phone and sat in one of the peach colored stalls with her eyes closed. The cool air coming from the vent made her shudder as she rested her hands on her knees.

Sighing, she forced her breathing to slow. After several moments passed, she found that the bathroom was actually pleasant. The soft hum from the lights was a melody she used to carry herself into a weak meditative state. Her anger slowly began to recede. The dark blue hues began to turn into pale pink. She inhaled deeply and allowed pushed as hard as she could. Soon, her mind was filled with bright pink colors. Her brown eyes flew open and she burst into laughter. She opened her communicator and called her mother again.

"Ko-mekh, I apologize for my impertinence. Please inform father that his method was sufficient, and I am grateful for you both." Hazina's gaze darted to the woman washing her hands beside her.

"It is okay, Hazina. We were worried. I let myself get frustrated. We love you very much. I think all the work is starting to get to you. You're a lot like your father. Don't overwork yourself. Goodbye."

"Bye, mother." Hazina pushed her communicator into her purse and left the bathroom.

Kanshero stood and gave her a strange look. "I thought you had gone out the back door or something. Are you okay?"

Instead of sitting, Hazina nodded. "I would like to return to the academy." A sigh of relief left her when he nodded and began to walk towards the door.

"I already paid for everything. I-I thought you were gone." He lowered his head as he walked. "I'm sorry. I like you a lot, Hazina, I just find it really hard to deal with you. I'm sorry I seem like a jerk." That was all he said the entire trip to the dorm.

They stood in the hall staring at opposite walls silently. It was Kanshero who asked, "Can we try this again next Thursday?" The fact that she remained silent made his heart rate increase. "Please? I won't ever mention what happened tonight again. Please."

Her words were cold when she replied, "Begging does not appease me, Kanshero. Although you annoyed and upset me, I will accept your offer." She nodded to him before she disappeared into her room.

Aziza did not ask her how things had gone. Obviously something had happened if they had come back in forty-three minutes. She watched her friend with sleepy eyes before she pulled the covers over her head.

"It went horribly. He suggested we try again next week. He got upset about me being bonded." Hazina slid between the covers.

"I'm sorry. Maybe he will be better next time. After all, it will be his birthday! We're going to go shopping next Wednesday to get you something pretty to wear." Aziza gave her friend a warm smile.

Hazina nodded. "Computer, lights off." She turned to the wall and counted in her meditative rhythm until she fell into a peaceful sleep.


	14. A Simple Reminder

The sun sat in the sky shining down brightly on the green grass underneath them. Aziza lay on her back with her hands folded behind her head and her ankles crossed. The leather boots she wore made a squeaky sound each time her feet moved. She adjusted herself on the blue blanket and looked over her head to where Hazina lay. The girl had her hair in a single braid pinned around the crown of her head. The white sweater she wore made her skin look as if it was glowing. She moved her hips again; the jeans she wore were obviously uncomfortable.

"You were correct in your theory that lying in the sun and being as still as possible would help generate more heat to our bodies." Hazina sat up suddenly. "When is our heating system due to be fixed?"

"Within the next three hours." Aziza looked at her watch. It was twenty minutes past four o'clock. "Let us go to the mall!" She stood and grabbed the blanket. Hazina had just managed to move when she pulled the cloth and rolled it into a ball. They walked to their room quickly.

"Why are you wearing that weird shirt underneath that sweater?" Aziza frowned.

Her finger reached up and touched the collar of the tan shirt she wore underneath her sweater. She shrugged. Other than the fact that it kept her warmer without her having to suffer with a coat, she did not have an explanation. She pulled on her boots that were the same color as her undershirt. Just to be sure her hair wouldn't fall anytime soon, she pushed several more pins into the braid. Contrary to Aziza's belief's, Hazina had no plans of cutting her hair in the future. She might clip the ends to make them perfectly even, but she would not do more than that.

The door chimed, and Shi'Kahr strolled into the room dressed in her gold dress with her arms crossed over her chest. She didn't even have to tell them she was going as she sat on the bed and watched Aziza bounce around in a pair of jeans that were too tight. Hazina sat on the bed beside Shi'Kahr and waited patiently. She had two days before her second fated meeting with Kanshero. Although they saw one another every day in the mess hall, they hardly spoke. It was…awkward.

She followed Aziza when she walked to the door. Joanna had called her several times to talk to her about Aziza's "problem" which she had chosen to ignore for the time being. Hazina stared at the snug fitting jeans Aziza wore; it obviously was going to fight to not be ignored. She hadn't noticed that her roommate had gained weight. She closed her eyes briefly. Aziza had not worn anything aside from her uniform or those huge pajamas since that time they had gone for pizza. She pushed her hands into the pockets of the jeans she wore. Aziza had told her that the jeans were meant to fit her, but Hazina had insisted on buying them two sizes bigger than what her friend had suggested. She was just not accustomed to wearing clothes that hugged her body.

The shuttle was crowded with people from their dorm. Were they all escaping campus to feel comfort from the cold in their living quarters? Shi'Kahr looked rather pleased with herself as she ran her fingers through her tangled black hair. She crossed her arms over her chest and locked eyes with the blond boy sitting across from her. He gave her a brilliant smile of confidence. Like her sister, Shi'Kahr had allowed her bangs to grow longer. This, Shi'Kahr had told her sister was an advantage; more people approached her because she looked more human. Her hair was always down unless she was doing a project or test. She lowered her eyes and stared at her hands. When she looked up, he was still smiling. She gave him a shy smile before looking down again.

If she allowed herself to display more emotions, Hazina would have rolled her eyes and made a sound of disgust. Her sister had dated two males already since her arrival four months before. It was illogical of her sister to boast of her more Vulcan looks then hide them just so that she could be more human. What irritated her most was Shi'Kahr's inability to hide her interest. Once a human male even thought a woman was interested in him, it was hard to get rid of him. Hazina knew this from experience. The male she had been forced to train with in advanced defensive tactics had thought she was interested in him, and he made it his priority to accost her and speak whenever he had the chance. He even got upset whenever Hazina ignored his extended hand and tipped her head to him instead. She moved in her seat slightly, pushing her elbow into her sister's side. Her eyes narrowed when the girl gave her a look of irritation.

When their stop came, Hazina waited for her sister to stand and exit the shuttle first. She walked behind her with her hands in her pockets and her eyes on the tall leather boots she wore. The thick black coat Shi'Kahr had draped over her shoulders looked like shiny black bear fur. The diamonds in her ears, yes diamonds, glittered as she turned to frown at her sister. Not only had she gone against Hazina's wishes when she had gotten her ears pierced over the weekend, but she had also bought that hideous coat. Hazina allowed herself to frown as she gazed at her younger sibling. Surely, Solin would not have been as brash as the girl before her. If only she [Shi'Kahr] had gotten accepted into that stupid Vulcan academy, she would not be there now. Hazina enjoyed having her sister around, but she knew the girl would be safer on the planet of their youth. She would not be allowed to do such childish things there.

Aziza crossed her arms over her chest and looked between the two sisters with an expression of interest. She knew Hazina had been patient with Shi'Kahr, but even she would have blown a fuse if she was Vulcan and her sister had gotten pierced ears. She pressed her lips together and took a step back when Hazina walked towards her sister.

Their identical brown eyes locked in a heated stare. Hazina's hand extended and fell upon Shi'Kahr's shoulder heavily. The younger girl's eyes widened. She wouldn't dare! Hazina gripped her shoulder tightly. Her mouth opened, but she did not speak. The coldness Shi'Kahr saw in her eyes made her shiver. She looked away and frowned. While she hated to put her sister in such uncomfortable situations, Hazina was fed up with Shi'Kahr's carelessness. She did not even have the heart to ask her sister if she was still pure. Her hand dropped to her side as she side-stepped and walked towards the building looming in the distance.

Overwhelming numbers of people no longer bothered Hazina. No, she was more bothered by the fact that her sister, whose attire vaguely reminded her of a twenty-first century hooker, was leaning over the counter smiling in the face of a man of Arabic descent. She took a step towards the store but stopped in her tracks. If her sister must learn the hard way then let her experience what Aziza is going through. It was wrong for her to make assumptions, but her sister gave off the aura that she had, on several occasions, experienced things Hazina did not know of. She watched her with narrowed eyes.

"You're fighting a losing battle. I don't know what's up with her, but…" Aziza's speech died when Hazina turned to her. She gave a nervous laugh and reached up to touch the auburn wig she wore. She looped her arm through Hazina and led her forward. "How about we go find you an outfit to wear to Kanshero's party?"

The store her friend chose was one of obvious taste and expense. Hazina walked around the store gazing at the dressed with approval. While there were so many, she knew what she did not want. Sleeveless, anything shorter than the Starfleet dresses or thin was automatically out of the running. She stopped beside a rack of knee length dresses that were made from Egyptian cotton with gold trimmings. The color was high and the design of one that reminded her of a painting she had seen on the computer when she was researching Italian culture. She pushed the dress aside and lifted the pink one behind it. The color reminded her of the roses she had recently noticed in the garden on campus. This dress was trimmed in aqua colored rayon. Her thumb brushed the material.

"God, Hazina, could you get something a little more seductive?" Aziza took the dress form her and placed it on the rack.

"Would you like me to dress as Shi'Kahr does?" Hazina watched her friend saunter around the racks.

"No. You would look weird. Just find something a little less conservative."

Hazina picked up the dress on the adjacent rack. It was nearly identical to the one she had had before, but the sleeves reached the elbow and the front was layer in a cut that had a piece of pink cloth covering it. Also, the dress was an inch longer than the Starfleet dresses. The material, on the other hand, was some strange mix between linen and nylon. She placed it back on the rack. On second hand, the chest part of the dress was just not suitable.

She picked up a black dress that would fall an inch above her knees. The sleeves would reach her elbows, and the cut was wide at the neck. There was a large black flower on the shoulder. She stared at the dress for 5.3 seconds before deciding to buy it. She also chose a light pink dress of silk. She handed the woman at the counter her card.

The air in the store was warm, but Hazina still felt a chill upon her neck. Her eyes swept the distance of the store quickly. The air seemed to be knocked out of her when thoughts of her sister barraged her. Although Shi'Kahr and Hazina were not twins, they still shared a small telepathic connection. She turned on her heels and briskly walked from the store. She could hear Aziza calling her.

Shi'Kahr stood in the center of a group of girls. Her eyes were round with confusion and fear. The group loosened, and Shi'Kahr backed away until she was pressed against the wall. Hazina sighed to herself and walked to the group, which was drawing a small crowd.

"Is there a problem?" Her voice rose above the murmurs of the people around her. She stopped on the side of the group and looked at her sister. She addressed her in Vulcan. _"What are you doing?"_

"_They are from the academy. Those two blondes accused me of having sexual relations with their partners."_

"_Understandable." _The look of hurt in Shi'Kahr's eyes stopped the words she wanted to speak. She looked at the girls standing around her sister. "It would be more beneficial if you left or took this discussion to a more private place."

"Who is going to make us?" The girl with the short black hair glared at her. "This girl is a slut. And I have a feeling you guys were talking trash about us in your gibberish language."

She grabbed her sister's wrist. "Come, Shi'Kahr." She thrust her sister ahead of her, causing her to stumble. Aziza, carrying several bags, caught her in an awkward hug.

Her feet had moved several fractions of an inch when something hard slammed into her back. The blow had caused her to stop in her tracks. Although she was not hurt, she was intrigued. She pivoted on her heels and stared at the five girls with a blank expression. Her teachings were firmly against the use of violence, so she did nothing but move when one of the girls walked to stand less than a foot away.

"We were talking to the trash." Her aquamarine eyes shimmered with anger.

Hazina had found that ignoring human metaphors made her life easier. "She is done talking." Her eyebrows rose when the girl's fist connected with her jaw, snapping her head to the right.

Several people gasped. Shi'Kahr's eyes widened and she stepped forward. Hazina gave her sister a gaze of anger that would have done their mother justice. She knew that one look had said more to Shi'Kahr than any words she could have uttered. She turned to look at the girl again. The hardness in her face relaxed slightly. She blinked.

"Well?" Her beautiful aquamarine eyes were dancing.

"She will not speak to y--" Her words were cut short when the girl's fist slammed into her jaw again. "If you attempt to do me harm I will incapacitate you."

The girl swung again, but Hazina stepped out of the way and grabbed her wrist and pressed it firmly against the girl's back; she shoved her away gently. Another of the girls stepped forward and kneed her in the stomach. The wind in Hazina's lungs came out in a rush as she leaned forward. The girl's fist slammed into her lip hard. While she was adverse to people doing illogical things, she had become annoyed. So, when the girl made to punch her again, she pushed her hand out the way. Hazina's hand wrapped around a significant amount of the girl's shirt before she slammed her into the wall. Her palm rested flat on the girl's chest.

"Stop." Her dark eyes moved across each of their face. The anger she felt began to ebb away the moment she blinked. She glared at them before she turned to walk a way.

"Hazina!" Aziza shoved Shi'Kahr out of the way and ran forward. The heel on her left boot broke, causing her to slam into her friend with enough force that they toppled over. Something heavy fell on top of them.

Shi'Kahr pushed the girl on top of them aside. She helped Aziza up then gave her sister an apologetic look_. "I am sorry."_

Hazina inhaled deeply and calmed herself before she turned to look at the girl clutching the strangely shaped statue. Her brown eyes moved to Aziza. She looked as if she was suffering through a mild amount of discomfort. Hazina pushed past her sister and rested a hand on Aziza's shoulder.

Her hazel eyes shifted from the floor to her friend. She forced a smile, but Hazina could see the emotions on her face. "I'm hurting."

She nodded. "Shi'Kahr, get the bags." With gentleness, she led her friend towards the door with her sister following closely at her heels. She wiped something wet from her chin and nearly grimaced when she saw the brown blood on her hand. That would explain the strange expressions of several of the people passing. She eased Aziza into the seat on the shuttle. It was truly convenient that a shuttle had been pulling up just as they'd emerged from the mall. She looked at the girl sitting beside her. "Where is your pain?"

"My back and my stomach." Aziza pressed her shoulder against hers and rested her head there.

When they got to their stop, Hazina found that Aziza was asleep. Instead of waking her, she simply picked her up and carried her. They went up the elevator and stood outside Joanna's door until she opened it with wide eyes. Hazina deposited Aziza on the bed gently. She stood and explained what had happened to Joanna.

"How did they fall? I mean, where was Aziza in the pile?" Joanna scanned the unconscious girl with her tricorder.

"In the middle. She ran into Hazina and the other girl fell on top of her." Shi'Kahr spoke from the corner."

"Great." Joanna moved around the room quickly. She injected Aziza with several hyposprays. "If she's not bleeding within an hour, you guys can go."

"Why would she be bleeding? She did not sustain injuries." Shi'Kahr stepped forward.

"This does not concern you. Please wait in the sitting area." Hazina closed the bedroom door and kneeled beside the bed. She wished that Aziza would be fine. She knew Aziza would be okay; it was the baby she was worried about.

She looked at Joanna with raised eyebrows. "Why is she not waking? Will the child be okay?"

Joanna frowned as she brushed a wet substance under Aziza's nose that caused the unconscious woman to stir. "She's no longer pregnant, Hazina. That was taken care of two days ago."

Aziza groaned and blinked quickly. "Where am I?" Her eyes widened with recognition as she looked around the room.

"I want you to rest here an hour before you go. I assume someone just fell on you?" Joanna began packing her equipment up.

"Yeh. I'm okay. I suppose all the stress was getting to me. I fainted."

"That and you were just pregnant. It can take up to a week for those symptoms to wear off. Be careful." She gave Hazina a look before she left the room.

"You did not tell me you had the abortion. I would have gone with you." Hazina looked at her friend. She touched her on the arm. Perhaps this small move of affection would make her friend more comfortable.

"I know, Hazina, but I did not want you there." Aziza sighed and let her head fall against the pillow. It was obvious that she was searching for the right words. "Your life is exciting enough without me adding my mistakes." She laughed.

Hazina pressed her forehead against the side of the bed before she looked up at her friend again. How could she tell her what she meant to her without sounding too out of character? Hazina's hand trembled slightly as she touched Aziza's index finger. Her hand wrapped around her friend's hand. She allowed her comfort and concern to move into her friend's mind before she pulled away. She smiled at her.

"If I did not have your mistakes, dear Aziza, my life would not be what it is now." She wrapped her in a tight hug.


	15. One Day I slowly floated away

_**The Star Trek universe is not mine. **_

The club was appropriately decorated for a birthday party. Although Hazina had visited the club only once, she found that it must have been the best party scene for people their age; only the people that hung with people she knew littered the place. On a given Friday night, however, patrons of all ranks and ages could be found their, though they were still of the respectable type. Hazina tried her best to hide behind Aziza, but she was failing that task horribly. Not only was it illogical for her to hide behind someone shorter and slimmer than her, but it was also illogical for her to be so nervous.

She inhaled deeply and was almost successful at pushing the annoying emotion to the back of her mind until she saw Kanshero sitting at the bar dressed in a white two piece suit. He wore a white shirt underneath the jacket. His shiny black hair was gelled back on his head and his face shaved clean. His dark brown eyes sparkled with amusement as he talked to the three people standing around him.

Aziza nudged Hazina in the side. "Give me your coat. I want to see how Kanshero reacts to your dress."

She hesitated before turning to her friend and pulling her coat off. Why was there a pulling at the back of her mind telling her that this was a bad idea? She nodded to a beaming Aziza and looked down to make sure her attire was in order. When she turned back around, she bumped into something that was hard but soft at the same time. Strong arms wrapped around her waist. She looked up into Kanshero's amused eyes.

He released her and stepped away. "You are very pleasing to the eyes, Hazina." He gave her a large grin.

She inclined her head. "As are you, Kanshero." She looked over her shoulder to see Aziza approaching. She bumped shoulders with her and leaned towards Kanshero.

"You know, Hazina wanted to wear black, but I think this dress is better." Aziza motioned to the pink silk dress. It wasn't exactly snug, but it did show her friend's curves; she had managed to talk her into buying the version that was sleeveless but with not so thin straps. Hazina's only objection had been the low cut, but that was remedied when they found one that had more material in the front.

"Come and dance with me." Kanshero touched her wrist and led her towards the floor. His hands rested on her hips as they began to sway to the music.

She was not accustomed to being in such close proximity to anyone outside her mind. Her body felt warm suddenly. She leaned in closer and rested her forehead against his shoulder. Although they were of very distinctively different heritages, Hazina found that Kanshero's physical and mental qualities complimented hers well. She did not tower over him, and she respected his intelligence. His hands wrapped around her waist and he pressed his face into her neck. Hazina stiffened slightly but remained where she was. Aziza had explained these actions to her during their practice last night. She smiled and inhaled the spicy scent of him that reminded her strongly of pumpkin and ginger. When the song stopped, she looked up to find almost everyone in the room staring at the two of them. She nodded to him and walked to the booth where her sister, Aziza, and Kzana sat smiling.

Kzan Tira was a Bajoran that had lived on Earth all of her life. Her parents were instructors at Starfleet. Hazina had become friends with the girl when she was her lab partner during their xenobotany courses. She had gotten lucky enough to have the girl in the advanced course with her during the current semester. She took a blue drink Aziza slid towards her. Shi'Kahr wore dangling earrings and a fitting red dress. The makeup she wore was done by none other than Aziza. When? Probably when Hazina and Kanshero had danced.

Her sister did not look at her for a long while. She kept her brown eyes trained on the wall. A strained smile appeared on her face. "I see that the bruises on your face have healed."

Hazina lifted a napkin and wiped her cheek. A dark purple bruise appeared. "It is paint Aziza found at a store in the mall." She looked at her friend beside her. Aziza produced the small tube and gently rubbed a dab on Hazina's face to cover the bruise again.

"I wonder if Jamison wants to dance." Tira stood with a smile. "Do you think he will say yes?" She looked at Hazina hopefully.

"Jamison is unpredictable, Tira." She turned to look at the male in question. He was leaning over the table pulling on piece of hair on the head of a brown skinned girl Hazina recognized as Keisha Pendleton. She turned to Tira. "It will not hurt to ask."

"So, how was Kanshero? You two looked pretty good out there together." Aziza laughed at the expression Hazina gave her. She sipped her drink and placed it on the table before she leaned forward on her elbows. "Let's dance!" She pushed until Hazina was standing. She rolled her eyes when Shi'Kahr shook her head.

The music was faster than before, but Aziza had promised Hazina that it was fine for her to dance the way she was accustomed to but faster. She matched the movements Aziza made and even laughed when her friend twirled and fell into her arms. Kanshero and Frederick showed up and began to dance with them. She was so distracted by the fun she was having that she forgot to be nervous. All she could think about was keeping in time with the music and not letting Frederick step on her toes. Her eyes widened when Aziza lifted her hands over her head and did something strange wit her hips. This move was a bit too provocative for Hazina's taste. She shook her head when Aziza motioned for her to try it.

They had been joined by Tira and Jamison after four songs, but they had continued to dance after that. Hazina found slight perspiration on her forehead when she sat down across from Aziza. Kanshero had squeezed in beside her, and Jamison had pulled up a chair to sit next to Tira. Her eyes widened slightly as she lifted the second glass she had drank from. She gave Aziza a look of exasperation. Her back straightened when Kanshero put his arm around her shoulders. She looked at him out the corner of her eye but decided against reprimanding him because it was his birthday. She took the drink Jamison offered her and gulped down half of it. She looked at the people around the table.

"This is the second drink with chocolate in it that I have had tonight. Surely someone is trying to sabotage me." She looked at Shi'Kahr and Aziza. The latter exchanged drinks with her quickly.

"Hazina is allergic to chocolate." She winked and sipped the drink. "Wow! This is good."

"It's some liquor imported from Israel called Sabra. Girls tend to like it." Jamison shrugged as he sipped his beer.

"What time is it?" Tira looked up from the peanut shells she had lined up. Hazina could not even recall when she had started counting them, but she did know that Tira and Frederick had started a peanut eating competition. Tira had won by eating one hundred and nine peanuts.

"2338 hours." Hazina sighed. Kanshero's hand had moved from her shoulders to her waist. She moved over slightly and looked at Aziza with pleading eyes. Although several of the faces before her were out of focus, she was still aware of what was going on around her.

"How about we go get something to eat?" Aziza began pushing people from the booth.

Draped in their coats and shivering in the winter air, they made their way towards the shuttle area. Aziza led them onto the first shuttle that stopped. They would try some Lebanese food that night. The restaurant was nearly abandoned as they slid into the fading brown booths. Jamison had opted to walk Tira and Shi'Kahr to their dorm. Hazina sat beside Kanshero pulling at one of the napkins underneath the large plastic green bowl. She blinked and rested her forehead against the cold window.

"What will it be ladies and sirs?" The waitress was a woman in her mid-fifties with long black hair and brown eyes.

Because she was the only person used to eating their, Aziza ordered everything. "We will have all of this in single dishes: Batata harra, fattoush, kafta, mutabbel, and tabbouleh. We'll have a bottle of Arak. Thank you."

Kanshero glanced at Hazina before pressing his hands against his face and sighing. "I have some great news." He rolled his eyes when she continued to stare out the window with her forehead against the glass. Aziza gave him a sympathetic look but motioned for him to continue. "I'm going to be serving on the SS Charles for thirteen months. We're leaving in three days."

"Oh, my! Congratulations!" Aziza clapped happily and gave Kanshero an awkward hug across the table.

Hazina had sat straight and asked the waitress for a glass of water. She turned to Kanshero and lifted to glass when the woman handed it to her. "To the adventures that lie ahead." She gulped down the water and sat the empty glass on the table. Her index finger rubbed her cheek before she brushed it across her forehead.

"Damn, what happened to you?" Frederick squinted at her cheek.

"An altercation. I am fine." Hazina, in an attempt to spread the paste more evenly on her skin, removed even more. She held her palm up to Aziza. "This is why I do not approve."

The food was colorful and sat on the table the same time the drinks were presented. Hazina did not even acknowledge the bottle in the middle of the table. She ate some of the salad and motioned for another glass of water. She did try the mutabbel and tabbouleh, but she stayed away from the meat dishes.

She and Kanshero walked towards her dorm with their heads lowered. She almost ran inside when a strong breeze swept across the campus. Her laughter pulled him from his reverie as she struggled to open the door. Pulling him inside, she moved beyond her desk and dropped her coat on her bed. She kneeled and began to look underneath her bed. After several minutes, she produced a package wrapped in shiny blue paper.

"Thank you. Is this another book?" Kanshero laughed when she pressed her lips together.

He opened the gift to find that it was actually a catalogue with over one hundred Japanese artists from the past two centuries. He sat on the bed. The music was in Japanese and English, if the artist was fluent in the language. He looked at her with a large smile. Her face relaxed until she too smiled. He closed the distance between them quickly and pressed his lips against hers. It felt like one of those moments when he was younger and kissing hard, cold glass of the mirror in the bathroom. He relaxed and moved his lips against hers until she finally responded. His fingers brushed her neck as he deepened the kiss.

Hazina pulled away from him and turned to the wall. "It has been a great pleasure to have known you for the past two years. I regret that I have exams on Tuesday and will not be able to see you off."

"I saw your presentation Monday. The one you did for your updates and adjustments for the Kobayashi Maru. You did a brilliant job. I am sorry if I made you uneasy."

She turned to him with a small frown. "I am not uneasy." Her head rose until her eyes met his in a gaze of acceptance. She followed him to the door with her hands clasped behind her back. She stopped walking when he turned to her with an awkward smile. With a sigh, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him as if he were a small child. He pressed a kiss into her temple and closed his eyes. His lips brushed hers one last time before he left through the door.

After a shower, she sat on the floor in the bathroom trying to meditate. She heard when Aziza came into the room, but she knew her friend was too drunk and tired to come into the bathroom. Hugging her knees to her chest, she realized that meditation would not be possible. Although she knew she wanted to cry, no tears fell from her eyes. She left the bathroom and climbed into the bed. She needed to find something constant in her life.

_**A/N: Although I am ahead and slowly posting these chapters, I'm beginning to fall behind. I've even started a short story for a series I am interested in (Merlin). I'm trying to keep a steady update time, **_ _**but…who knows where life is heading? Sorry, I'm really more carefree than I like to admit a lot of the time. Hope you enjoyed this. Things go crazy from here. Not really XD hahaha. Oh, and I'm still editing these myself. Sorry if there are huge errors. **_


	16. Cravings of the heart

_**I have no stock in anything Stark Trek related. This will be mostly memory.**_

One of the most annoying points of the campus was the need for one to travel from that location to another port just to catch another shuttle that finally led to getting on a starship. Hazina tapped her thigh several times as she watched the ship fly away. Aziza crossed her arms over her chest and began to walk back to their dorm when Hazina pulled her hat on her head. The girl rarely let her hair down out of that ball. She clapped her gloved hands as the thought of all the fun they had ahead of them. Although Tira had bowed out of their trip at the last minute, Hazina and Aziza kept to their plans of going to Australia for the Christmas break. Shi'Kahr was stretched out over her bed when they got back. Her bags were stacked neatly in the corner.

Meditating while flying on a shuttlecraft had never occurred to Hazina, but her sister sat across from her with her eyes closed whispering Vulcan chants. Hazina's brown eyes fell upon the pink handkerchief she held in her right hand. The flight to Australia was scheduled to take two hours. She crossed her arms over her chest and began to think about the conversation she had had with her mother the night before. Aziza had agreed to take Shi'Kahr to the mall for some last minute shopping so that Hazina could have enough time to contact her parents.

_Her mother appeared on the screen with a wide smile and a towel wrapped around her head. She wore a thick white robe. Her eyes sparkled when she saw her eldest daughter on the screen. Her voice was breathy when she said, "Hazina!" She laughed at something and said something inaudible as she disappeared from view. She could hear her laughing in the other room. She appeared dressed in a knee length white sleeping gown. _

"_Greetings, mother. I am sorry to interrupt your preparations for bed."_

_She smiled and shook her head. "Your father is in that room trying to understand the complexity of Betazed gardening. Why am I being surprised this evening?"_

"_It is about Shi'Kahr." Hazina crossed her legs and rested her laptop on them. "I already recounted through messages how she has been behaving. I have found that her latest actions are worse. She was seen kissing Ensign Markus Levi in the gym. I know you will argue there is no reason for concern, but I wish you would stress discretion to her. She kisses a different male every week. I am afraid her reputation outside the classroom is tarnished." _

"_McCoy thinks that she is trying to reciprocate for her failure on Vulcan. Personally, I am disgusted and have advised her to refrain from all activities that do not involve you or her coursework. She forwarded me her grades. She has 3.8. I'm proud to see you've maintained your 4.0 in light of all your projects. I also saw a recording of your presentation. You are exactly like your father, Hazina. He says we should exercise patience with Shi'Kahr. Please continue to look after her. I would not want anything to happen to my baby. Either of you. I was sorry to hear that Kanshero left. We had been having problems with the communication lines for the past three days."_

"_Aziza and I are going to Australia."_

"_Take Shi'Kahr with you." She looked from the screen and smiled. Her arm extended and a pale hand grasped hers. Her father's face appeared on the screen as he slid his arm around his wife's thin waist._

"_Hello, father." She nodded to him. "Mother, I think that not allowing Shi'Kahr to accompany us will serve as better punishment."_

"_What has she done?" Spock looked at his eldest daughter with concern._

"_Nothing new." Nyota moved his hand from her waist. Hazina knew this was because she was ticklish. "Take your sister with you. You have to look after her. I'll even send some extra money to your account."_

"_Mother…" Hazina sat back against the chair. "What if she does the same thing while we are on vacation? I have had Joanna inject her with contraceptives. She has to be injected every three months. She doesn't know this. Joanna told her it was simply a vaccine. While I do not enjoy deceiving her…"_

"_How do you know she is having sex?" Nyota frowned. The idea of her youngest child having sex did not bode well with her._

"_She told Aziza. She has been sexually active for three months." Hazina allowed her frustration to show. "I find these facts to be disgusting and a shame upon our name."_

"_She said you were with Kanshero."_

_Hazina made a sound in the back of her throat that closely resembled a Klingon curse word. "I have known Kanshero for over two years. I have done nothing but kiss him goodbye. My feelings for him would have grown, but he is gone and I am allowing myself to move over those feelings."_

"_And Kyleth?" Spock spoke those words._

"_I am contacting him once this transmission ends." She sighed loudly and leaned forward. "I am not ashamed to say that my feelings for Kyleth are stronger than those for Kanshero. Kyleth is a pillar on which I can lean and depend."_

"_That is acceptable." Spock blinked._

"_What of your sister?" Nyota crossed her arms over her chest._

_She knew her mother would not let the subject go. "She will be joining Aziza and me on our trip. We will contact you upon our arrival. Do not worry, mother, I will look out for her."_

"_I know. I'm more worried about you. I know your grandfather and everything you've learned are against violence. Don't let anyone touch you like that again." _

"_Acknowledged, mother. I have enjoyed our transmission. Live long and prosper, mekhu." Hazina lifted her hand to them._

"_Goodnight, baby." Nyota's face was covered with adoration. Spock nodded. _

_The screen went blank. She stood and paced the room for two minutes and fourteen seconds before she sat on the bed and opened a communication link with Kyleth. She stood and was in the processes of removing her robe when the button of her pajama shirt got caught on the robe, and she ripped it. She lifted the shirt over her head and stopped when she heard someone behind her clear their throat. Her eyes scanned the room swiftly as she dropped the shirt on the bed and moved to the dresser to pull on a thin strapped pink shirt. _

_She sat on the bed and was surprised to find Kyleth's face on the screen. Although she had called him, she thought he would be asleep or too busy to answer. Of course that idea was unfounded; that was her first attempt to contact him outside of email or her mind. She blushed as she lifted the laptop. His dark eyes held her gaze for a long time before he looked down at the stack of papers she could see on his desk. He placed his hands flat on the desk. His face was as serene as a bowl of untouched water._

"_Greetings, Kyleth." Her voice was strong and monotonic in her flawless Vulcan. She touched her shoulder when his eyes briefly swept her attire. Had he seen her in her bra when she'd changed shirts? Heat of shame rushed to her cheeks as she swallowed and tried to keep eye contact._

"_Greetings, Hazina." His voice was smooth like the music of a Vulcan lyre. She had a sudden longing to hear her father playing. Kyleth's face remained impassive as he continued to stare at her. What was she thinking? All he could see was the mild happiness in her eyes. Hopefully her thoughts were of him. That thought was illogical and pushed to the back of his mind. "May I inquire to the reason behind this call?"_

_Because you are my friend, and I felt like talking to you. __Hazina flinched slightly at the thought. Luckily she had not said such words out loud. Kyleth would have been disturbed and accused her of being a simple illogical human. She gave him a crooked smile. Two of her friends had just left her. She was going to Australia with Aziza and Shi'Kahr; she needed him. His face appeared to drain of the color. Hazina sighed. "I missed you."_

_He swallowed and tried to keep his voice even. "How so?" The corner of his eye twitched as he looked down at his hands. He was actually going to entertain her human qualities._

"_I haven't seen you in person since I left Vulcan." Her heart thudded in her chest as she contemplated her next sentence. Should she be like her sister and be bold? Yes. She was the daughter of Spock and Uhura. "You are a great comfort to me."_

_He looked up quickly and pressed his lips together. "I am being assigned to research the current plague on the planet Tellar. I will be stationed there for two years."_

"_Does this disease affect other races?"_

"_No. Only the Tellarite have been affected." He stared at her. She was beautiful._

"_I will be more at ease with you there, then." She sighed and looked down at her hands. Two years had turned him into an almost typical Vulcan male. "Why are they assigning you so far away?"_

_He looked at something beyond the camera. "Because I am the most successful scientist. I have been given a team of two others. I believe you remember Kurom and T'Lek." He opened his mouth to speak, but the mood of discomfort he experienced could have come from no one but her. Her hand trembled as she brushed a string of hair from her face. He sighed; she remembered them._

_They were the brother and sister that had almost drowned her. Kurom was a year older than his sister T'Lek, but when T'Lek had attacked Hazina and Hazina had gotten the upper hand, they dragged her from the red sand and shoved her into the water. T'Lek had held her head under while Kurom looked on with a smirk. Kyleth had run from her grandfather's house to jump into the water, tackling T'Lek in the process. He had then proceeded to carry Hazina from the water to the sand where she doubled over and vomited up all the water she had swallowed. _

"_How did you know where I was?" Hazina looked at him with round eyes. She had never asked him that question before. _

_The new found astonishment he felt from her made his heart rate increase. He was thankful he was in his office alone. "We were bonded at seven, Hazina. I know you ignored our bond, but it was always strong to me. Even now I can feel your emotions as if they are my own. When I went to see you at your grandfather's house, he told me that you'd gone to the caves to collect specimen for the vegetation project we had due that week. I was on my way to the caves when I felt your fear and panic. I caught a glimpse of the sand. So, I ran there. I saw Kurom watching his sister. She lifted your head and shoved it back into the water. I knew it was you because you wore your hair long…and it looked like a human child."_

"_You were very angry after that incident." She almost stumbled over her words, but her Vulcan was still flawless._

"_Yes. You were afraid, but I was angry. They were careless. Life is too precious to do such silly things." He looked down at his hands again. _

"_Is there another reason they are sending you to Tellar?" She blinked at him._

_She knew he would not lie. He moved in his chair and looked her straight in the eyes. "On several occasions I have been accused of being emotional. My parents have linked this to our being bonded. They petitioned for our bond to be broken, but I spoke against them. I…" His jaw clenched. "I care for you deeply, Hazina. In the event that I do not return from Tellar, remember those words." _

"_What makes you think you will not return?" The concern on her face caused his throat to tighten slightly._

_Did she really not know that Kurom was one of the head assassins for the internal division? Although he may not kill him as soon as they arrived, he would eventually get around to it. Vulcans hated to be disgraced, and deleting one emotional Vulcan for the "safety" of thousands would not hurt the masses. He even agreed with them, but he would not tell her that. His eyes widened when he realized that she was reaching out to him. He inhaled deeply and allowed her to explore his mind. She saw the three incidents in which he had been accused of being emotional: when he cried at the opera he attended with his mother, his anger towards T'Lek when she had wasted three months of research on the floor, and his anger when he had saved a little boy from falling over the ledge inside a cave; the child's mother had acted indifferent. He blinked his eyes open. Hazina stared at him with admiration and respect._

"_You should not be ashamed of your actions, Kyleth. You are a beautiful and strong being. What are hiding from me? Why did you not answer my question?" Her eyes widened when his lips twitched at the thickening of her accent. _

"_You still slip into that nearly unintelligible Vulcan when you are upset. Kurom is one of the main assassins in the tactical divisions." His face went stone white when he felt the weight of the horror on her face. His hands clenched as he closed his eyes. Slowly, he pulled the emotion away into the back of his mind. It was like trying to pull the pink from a rose petal, but he succeeded. _

"_Stop that! I have the right to feel whatever emotion I choose."_

"_Your emotions run into me, dear." He could tell from her expression that she had not heard the end of his sentence. "I must keep these emotions contained or I will not even make it from this planet." _

"_You've yet to finish at the academy. How can they just send you away?" She covered her face. Again she felt him pulling all the fear and disappointment away until she was left calm. Her lower lip trembled. "I do not want you to die." The truth of her words shocked her, so did the fact that they were completely illogical. _

"_I finish here in five moons, and Hazina, you know that death is inevitable for every creature. Your want is illogical." _

"_Shut up about logic, Kyleth. Logic is what caused me and my siblings to be ridiculed for our genetic differences. Logic is what is going to cause the elders to make a decision to have you executed. I want to see you." She covered her face again._

"_Your fear is irrational, Hazina. Please do not allow it to surface again. I leave for Tellar in…according to the Terran calendar, it will be seventeen days into July."_

_A look of relief came to her. She was suddenly more radiant than the light above her head. She lowered her head to hide her smile. "Thankfully." She pressed her hand against her mouth._

"_Don't." His hand on the desk appeared to tense at the amused expression she gave him. "I am very fond of your smile."_

_She stared at him and allowed her hand to fall into her lap. The strange feeling in the pit of her stomach rose again as he stared at her. Her tongue slowly moistened her lips before she spoke. The fact that his eyes followed the movement did not go unnoticed. "I am traveling to Australia tomorrow for leisure time. I will continue with my usual emails. It was very pleasant talking to you, Kyleth. Should I be as bold as to call you my darling?"_

"_Boldness is not required. It is simply affection." He stared at her._

"_You are against this term." The smile on her face faltered slightly._

"_If it will return the smile to your face, I do not care what name you call me." He blinked at her. _

"_Tal-kam." She smiled as heat crept into her cheeks again._

Aziza poked her in the arm. She ushered her off the shuttlecraft and navigated them towards the luggage claim. They piled their luggage on an electric cart and pushed it towards the front of the building. Hazina looked at her sister out the corner of her eye. The girl stared wide-eyed at the desert land stretching out before them. Choosing to visit Red Centre had been a brilliant idea. Not only would they be camping for two whole weeks before they went to Adelaide, but she would also be able to learn more about new culture and animals. Hazina allowed herself a small smile as they trooped into the shuttle before them. She was going to have a warm and happy Christmas. 


	17. Center of Attention

_**Nothing in the Star Trek universe belongs to me. **_

Hazina stared at the puddle of cake at her feet with raised eyebrows. Aziza had failed miserably in her attempt to bake her best friend a cake for her birthday. She groaned as she moved the mop over the spilled materials. Hazina's brown eyes scanned the kitchen slowly. How had Aziza managed to talk the head cook into letting her ruin their den? She walked around the table and began to combine the correct ingredients to produce the desired cake. Aziza wandered over and took the mixer from her and gently moved it around the bowl.

"Tilting it thirty degrees more to the left will give your cake a more desirable texture." Hazina grabbed Aziza's wrist with her thumb and index finger and moved it slightly. She nodded when Aziza looked at her.

In an attempt to make her friend feel better, she decided she would finish cleaning up the kitchen. After mopping and cleaning the already used dishes, she disposed of all the wasted ingredients. Her brown eyes sparkled as she marveled at how beautiful the kitchen was when cleaned. She walked back to Aziza to find her pouring the mixture into a pan shaped like a daisy. Hazina opened her mouth to tell Aziza that the cake would rise better on the second shelf, but she decided it would be better if she let her friend do things the way she wanted. After all, the cake was a gift she had promised Hazina!

They sat on the bed in their room eating cake and ice cream and watching a show on the television about a woman that was in love with an Andorian man but married to a Betazed. Hazina found the show to be tasteless but humorous. She licked the spoon she held in her hand and bit back a laughed when the woman slapped her husband and jumped into the Andorian's arms. It would be interesting to see a Betazed woman mate with an Andorian. She pushed her spoon into the cake, which was vanilla and strawberry, and nearly moaned at how delicious it tasted. Yes, the offspring of such a match would be a rare individual.

"So, you've talked to your parents and all your uncles on the Enterprise. Your brother sent you a message. Kanshero left you a message. Who is missing?" Aziza bit into a piece of cake and slapped Shi'Kahr's hand away. She looked at the girl with a frown. "Use your spoon. Just cut you a piece!" Aziza ate the cake from her utensil.

"That is all. Everyone else told me happy birthday and I'll probably receive the remainder of my gifts tomorrow." She sighed as she stared at the cake. There was one person that she had thought would at least acknowledge today as being important to her.

At that moment, the desktop beeped to signal that someone was trying to establish a communication link. Hazina, dressed in a fitting black undershirt with thin straps and loose gray pajama pants, jumped off the bed and tapped the button in the corner of the screen without even considering who it could be. Her face lit up when she saw a familiar figure walking several feet from the screen. She wiped her mouth quickly and sat down in the chair with a large smile. She swallowed back her nervousness as he sat down in his chair and lifted his eyebrows when their gazes met.

"I looked on the Terran calendar to find that it is your day of birth. Recalling the fact that these days are celebrated by your family, I thought it acceptable to contact you and wish you merriment on this day." He spoke in perfect Federation Standard.

"Thank you." She nodded her head; her hair, wrapped in a loose bun, moved awkwardly as she turned to the people behind her. "Kyleth, this is my roommate Aziza Umbha. Shi'Kahr."

"Greetings." He nodded to them before looking back at Hazina. He wanted to tell her something else, but he figured the gift he had sent her would be enough. "I am afraid I sent your gift this morning. It will not be there for 15.8 days."

"That is fine. You did not have to get me anything."

"Is it not customary?" His eyebrows rose higher.

She pressed her lips together to hide a smile when she heard Aziza snickering behind her. "It is. Thank you."

Kyleth cleared his throat. "I will go now. Live long and prosper, Hazina."

She lifted her hand. "And you, Kyleth." She tapped the green button on the screen when it went dark.

Aziza took her time eating cake and ice cream before she spoke. She took a shower and came from the bathroom clutching her shoulder length black wig. Her bed made a small squeaking sound as she climbed into it. Her eyes appeared to dance with humor as she smiled at Hazina and Shi'Kahr. Shi'Kahr was sharing the bed with Hazina. Aziza sighed and rested her hand on her forehead. "If only two handsome and successful men would fall in love with me. Customary my ass."

Shi'Kahr openly allowed herself to laugh. "I found his reason behind sending the gift to be illogical as well. He is on Vulcan. No human customs are observed there."

"Will you two shut up?!" Hazina turned to the wall. When the other two people in the room began to laugh, she smiled. _**"Computer lights off."**_ Her Klingon was flawless.

"Not cool, Zina. I'm glad you have an early class. Please use standard when you turn them back off in the morning." Aziza kicked something hard as she turned in bed. She muttered a string of curse words in Swahili.

Hazina spent the few days convincing herself that she was not worried about what Kyleth had sent her. After all, her parents had given her a new communicator, and her grandfather had bought her two tickets to Vulcan. Hazina had convinced Aziza to travel with her. The girl had agreed happily, but only after Hazina had explained the similarities in their climates.

Even when the day for lovers rolled around Hazina did not think about the gift Kyleth had given her. No, she spent her time nodding to people and pretending to not notice the people kissing in the halls and clinging to one another in the mess hall. After her last class ended that day, she locked herself in her room alone and studied all her botany notes several times over before she fell asleep. When she woke up, Aziza was sprawled out on the bed dressed in a short white dress with the ridiculous chin length black wig on her head. Hazina pulled the hair off gently and place it upon the Styrofoam head sitting on the wooden mantle above the desk. She pulled off her friend's knee length leather boots and put them in their respective place. A small smile graced her lips as she rolled the girl over into bed and pulled her out of her dress. This was not something she enjoyed doing.

After she'd taken a shower and dressed in her own pajamas, Hazina climbed into bed and stared at the ceiling. Trying to convince herself that she would not think about the fact that it had been eleven days since her birthday, she forced her mind to recall the notes to the book Joanna's father was in the process of writing. It was part two of his series on xenobiological anomalies. The book was focused on the DNA and genetics of her and her siblings. She crossed her arms over her chest. She was a scientist; his findings had been extremely interesting to her. After she had read the notes and draft several times over, she had emailed him several corrections. Her body was not as normal as any other human female; she was forty percent stronger, almost six feet tall, and more intelligent. Also, her biology had a strange schedule. Unlike Shi'Kahr, who experienced the typical monthly of human females, she experienced the phenomenon every three months. She sent her sweet Uncle Len notes on all of that.

The gift, which she was trying to convince herself that she was not looking for, arrived while she was at the gym with her sister. Aziza accepted the package from the delivery boy with a large smile. It was small and light. While she wanted to open it, she found that it was addressed to Hazina. She clapped happily when she saw who had sent it. Finally! Hazina would stop being so sappy (no matter how much she denied it) about the fact that her gift from her loverboy had not arrived. Aziza stared at the plain yellow paper and wondered what was in it. She could hardly contain her excitement as she bounced into the kitchen to make tea.

Hazina collapsed on the mat covered in sweat that made her bangs cling to her forehead. She brushed her arm across the area and stood with a light gruff and pulled the gloves from her hand. Her sister was getting faster but not stronger. Her legs felt like noodles for a moment. Her brown eyes locked with her sister's before both of them broke into loud laughter. Had they really been fighting for that long? Ignoring the stares of the males standing beside the mat, she yanked her sister into the locker room beside her. She rolled her eyes when the girl gave her a look of pure annoyance. Instead of addressing it, Hazina went to take a hot shower. She washed her hair and allowed the water to beat down on her head. It was really time for her to go to sleep. She dressed in her uniform and waited for Shi'Kahr outside the dressing room.

Twelve minutes later, she realized that her sister was not in the dressing room. Her brown eyes searched the different face of the gym until they fell upon a smiling Shi'Kahr. She sat with three boys and a girl near the top of the bleachers. Interestingly enough, she was still dressed in her work-out clothes. Hazina knew that her parents would be upset if she left her sister. She bit back a grumble as she walked to the other side of the gym. Her feet moved up the steps quickly so that she reached the top in sufficient time. She stared at her sister. Shi'Kahr groaned as she stood.

"Your warden is here." Cadet Jesse James was Jamison's younger brother. He had entered the academy that semester. He laughed at the embarrassed face Shi'Kahr gave them.

"You know, your sister is going to be nineteen in three whole months. She can make decisions for herself." Cadet Kents had entered the same time as Shi'Kahr. She had, in fact, heard of every incident Hazina managed to fall in. Her thin lips stretched into a smile as she flipped her blond hair over her shoulder.

"Shi'Kahr, get your bag." She ignored the comments to look at her sister. When the girl sat back down, she stiffened in surprise. Had she not just talked to her mother about Shi'Kahr's recent need to be defiant? While Hazina had admired her boldness before, she was simply annoyed by it now. _"Get your bag and come."_

"No, Hazina. I want to stay with my friends." She blushed when the brunette boy sitting next to her smiled.

Friends? She narrowed her eyes at the girl and continued to speak to her in Vulcan. _"These are also the friends that abandoned you last weekend when you were drunk at the Lonely Island club last, are they not? Perhaps you should choose more mature friends, sister. As it is, I have agreed to watch you. You will come."_

"I will not." Shi'Kahr flinched when Hazina moved up a step. "Do not do this, ko-kai!"

Shoving the disappointment she felt to the back of her mind, Hazina simply reached out and touched her sister on the shoulder. "If you are not in your room within an hour I will find you." She looked at each of their faces. "All of you." She turned on her heels and walked down the stairs.

"Your sister is such a creepy bitch." Cadet Kents said quietly.

Hazina stopped in her tracks. She turned just in time to see her sister shove the girl out of the way as she picked up her bag and walked down the steps. Shi'Kahr gave Hazina an apologetic look and lowered her eyes as she followed her from the gym. Okay, maybe she didn't like that her sister tried to control the things she did, but no one was going to insult anybody that cared for her so deeply. She scratched her forehead gently and told her sister that she wanted to go to her own room since it was getting dark out. Hazina obliged her.

When Hazina arrived at her room, Aziza sat folded up on a chair with her hazel eyes staring at the television. Hazina dropped her bag at the foot of her bed and sat on Aziza's bed. She leaned forward and stared at the mess on the screen. Someone was performing surgery on the knee of a human male. She touched the damp ball at the top of her head and lifted her eyebrows when Aziza dropped a small package into her lap. She stared at it with round eyes.

"It's the gift from Kyleth." Aziza moved so that the chair she occupied rotated to the right. She smiled as her friend tore the paper from the gift and marveled at the dark green box inside. Aziza already knew what it was before she even opened the box. What she had not expected, on the other hand, was that it would hold one of the strangest gems she had ever seen. "What is it?"

Hazina produced an inaudible sigh as she lifted the piece of jewelry so that she could inspect it closer. "It is a jewel from the mouth of the belly of the Gorgian shark, which exists only on New Vulcan. The number count for this shark species is unknown, so it is forbidden to hunt them. The jewel is set in what appears to be a hybrid combination of titanium and platinum." The shiny aquamarine colored jewel sparkled in the center of the ring.

"Why is it that color if it came from its stomach?"

"The water on New Vulcan is purely transparent. It is supposed that the sharks inhaled and trapped all the color from the water. This caused the crystals in their stomachs." She looked at the television again.

Aziza sighed as she stood and crawled in the bed beside her friend. The ring fit on the third finger of her left hand perfectly. Well, she was technically already married to the guy. She lifted Hazina's hand by the wrist. With a snort she said, "Go ahead and gloat. I would if I was in your position."

"Negative. Gloating is an emotion that leads to others feeling inadequate. While I endeavor to express my emotions, I try not to do so at the expense of others' emotions." She tried to pull the ring off her finger. If it was making Aziza jealous, she did not want to wear it around her friend. She found that the ring would not move from her finger. Her eyes scanned the ring on her uplifted hand. "Fascinating. He has created a substance that caused the ring to bond with my skin."

"You're so weird." Aziza laughed as she hit her friend with a pillow. Her eyes got all dreamy. "I love Frederick, you know, but I don't ever expect him to give me a ring. Wonder how Kanshero's going to react tomorrow!" Aziza pressed her face into the pillow.

Hazina stared at the ring on her finger a moment longer before changing into her pajamas. Why was Aziza curious about Kanshero's reaction? Any reacion other than expressed support would be illogical. She recalled how he had gotten angry over the subject of her being bonded. The issue would be addressed at a more appropriate time. She climbed into bed and watched the television until her consciousness faded away.


	18. Pretend that this is Fiction

_**I don't own anything related to Star Trek. **_

Hazina had taken great care to avoid Kanshero seeing her ring during their transmission, but Shi'Kahr had shown up and made a big ruckus about the jewelry she had not seen. Why had she even tried to hide it from him in the first place? Kanshero had no significance in her life. She stopped pacing the gardens to stare at the pond that held the Andorian lilies. That was the most untrue and insulting thought she had ever had about her friend. He was dear to her, and she cared for him greatly; If Kyleth did not exist, she thought he would make a very appropriate bondmate. She gasped and continued to walk when she glimpsed someone with fire red hair approaching in the distance.

Going for walks to relieve stress and tension had been a practice of hers since Aziza had taken to inviting Frederick back to the room. Usually, Hazina brought along headphones she could plug into her communicator and listen to clips of different alien languages her mother had compiled for her. She resisted crossing her arms over her chest whenever someone looked at the ring on her finger. Kanshero had seen the ring almost two weeks ago and had not contacted her since. Her gym shoes dug into the dirt underneath her as she stood still. A breeze pushed several stray strands of hair from her face as she stared at the ground. Why did relationships with humans have to be so complicated?

Pretty soon, they would be on break to celebrate the coming of spring, but she, Aziza, and Shi'Kahr had plans of remaining on campus. Her parents were in space, and Aziza reminded her of the sunburn she suffered the last time she was in Africa. Where else could they go with just seven days to waste away? She looked down at the PADDs on her desk. She had an advanced Terran botany class to attend. She considered the fact, for a moment, that she had sufficient amount of credits to finish with a degree in xenobotany and minors in engineering and biology, but she wanted to get a degree in xenobiology, xenobotany, and minors in engineering and politics. In order for her to finish the requirements for such a feat, she had to go through summer school and the fall semester; she opted to just complete the entire curriculum the following school year.

She picked up her bags from their room, which was currently deserted. Her eyes surveyed the damage her two friends had done. She would have to think about replacing the yellow rug in the middle of the floor. For some strange reason, Frederick always had mud on his boots when he visited them. She picked up the rug and folded it neatly before pushing her needed books and PADDs into her messenger bag. Her laptop was already in its case. After draping her bag over her shoulder, she grabbed the case and went to the door.

It was somewhat of a bother to consider the idea that one of her group partners, Cheryl VaQuep, was ill. The girl had the biggest part of the presentation; she had insisted she do it against everyone else's wishes that Hazina be in control of the project. In the end, and a day before the deadline, she had sent what little work she had done to Hazina and complained that she was sick but not sick enough to visit sick bay. Somehow, she had managed to convince Captain D'Liva that she was sickly enough to miss class. Of course the captain believed VaQuep because she was a Betazed. He had made a logical decision but with little evidence, other than the girl's genetics.

The only other person present in the class was a girl with straw colored hair that reached her earlobes. Her pale blue eyes fell upon Hazina's face. She smiled and released an audible sigh as she strolled over to her. Hazina began to place the necessary equipment on the table. She turned to the girl and lifted her eyebrows when she extended a palm. Hazina nodded to her and turned back to setting up the equipment.

The girl cleared her throat. "Greenwood and Blackwater will be here in several minutes. Do you have everything?"

Hazina knew that the girl was trying to stop herself from being nervous. She glanced at her out the corner of her eye and plugged up her laptop. There was not an ounce of nervousness in her body. Perhaps, she was a little tense, but that would disappear the moment everyone in her group arrived. Although they were supposed to be learning to depend on their peers, Hazina had completed the entire assignment alone, but kept that fact as a secret; she would not, under any circumstances, allow anyone to bring down her perfect marks. She walked past the staring girl and walked up the stair to turn at the sixth row and gaze at the display screen.

"What are you doing?" She looked even more nervous. Ah! Her name was Henriette Moft. She was the offspring of a human and Klingon. Genetics had favored her human genes over the Klingon. The only way to know she was Klingon was by staring at her forehead; it was longer and had soft ridges.

Hazina walked down the steps while sweeping the stadium seating with interested eyes. She looked at Cadet Moft. Her voice was in its usual single timbre as she replied, "I am calculating the distance from the display screen to the viewers."

"Are you going to present?" The girl wore an expression Hazina had never seen on a human before. She laughed nervously and rested her fists on her hips. "I don't mean that you're not a great presenter. I just…that presentation you did on the genetics of Australia's Acacia pycnantha and California's Eschscholzia was awe inspiring and beautiful."

"Yet you fell asleep during the sixth minute of it. The presentation was well prepared with visual, audio, and tactile stimulation. You and Cadet Ringwright are the only two that were asleep." Hazina had a way of showing anger without changing the tone of her voice or the lack of muscle activity in her face.

"I apologize for that." Her blue gaze fell to the floor.

"That is fine. Your actions affected neither me nor my presentation. As it stands, I have reviewed the material with Ensign Blackwater. He will be doing most of the presentation." Hazina sat in a chair and logged onto her laptop so that she may open the needed file. She would be the one controlling the visual and audio parts of the presentation.

"So, you actually went out and visited those places you used in your research paper and presentation? That is nifty." She rocked from the ball of her feet to her tiptoes. When she did not get a response from Hazina, she dropped down into the nearest chair and pressed her lips together.

"It was only logical that I retrieve actual samples for the presentation and testing that I've done." She sat straight in the chair and opened up the program.

"What kind of testing?" Moft rested her chin on her palm and stared at Hazina with earnest interest.

"Genetic blending of the flowers. Genetics is a fascinating field." She looked at Moft with the same expression she had when she walked into the room, which was no expression.

"Why aren't you majoring in biology and chemistry then?"

"I am majoring in xenobiology as well as xenobotany. I plan on being a scientist."

"That deals in politics and fixing ships." The door clicked softly as Davon Blackwater walked into the room. His height was an inch over six feet and his curly black hair was cropped in a halo around his pale, structured face. He was descended from one of the richest families on Ardana. His frame was straight, from the position of his head down to his feet. His eyes were a brilliant violet color that he kept glued to Hazina's face. He turned to Moft suddenly. "Where are the petri dishes? Well, you could have simply placed the seeds in micro plastic storage bags." He stood behind Hazina and surveyed what she was doing.

"You have four majors?" Moft looked up from her bag as the realization sank in.

"No. I'm completing a double major of xenobiology and xenobotany with double minors in engineering and intergalactic politics."

"Politics is so boring." Moft lifted a brown box.

"Said the girl dating a guy majoring in sociology." Blackwater maneuvered around Hazina's chair and inspected the contents of Moft's box. He nodded to her and looked around the room with his hands in his pocket.

"Hoping 'the flavor of the month' doesn't show up today?" Moft crossed her arms over her chest. She gave Blackwater a pointed look.

"Hoping you'll be my next paramour?" Blackwater smirked, making him even more attractive than he already was.

"Not to save your life, miner." She glared at him.

"Uhura, are you interested? You're prettier. I prefer women of darker complexions and hair color. Plus, you are toned but curvy in the right places." Blackwater turned to her with his hands in his pockets and his eyebrows lifted in inquisition.

"She's married, pig." Moft spoke before Hazina could open her mouth. Her index finger made stabbing motions towards the ring on Hazina's left hand. "It's kind of hard to miss that jewel. I bet even you couldn't outdo that."

He turned and began to walk up the steps. A look over his shoulder acknowledged Greenwood's entrance. "While I am fond of women, I do not participate in the materialistic pleasure of--"

"Liar! You gave Marissa Tyler a necklace last week." Moft cursed in Klingon and burst into laughter. "You're pathetic."

Hazina stood and looked at her groups members. "The visual and audio are prepared. Blackwater, Greenwood will be doing the latter half of the presentation." She typed in several commands on her laptop. The lights in the room dimmed without anyone speaking. Soft music began to play as multicolored lights and flowers appeared on the screen. They moved through the presentation quickly. Hazina tapped several more keys and the lights came on.

"How did you do that?" Greenwood's eyes darted to the ceiling.

Blackwater smirked. "Why ask the person that programmed the Kobayashi Maru how they did something as simple as control the lighting and computer system with such ease?"

Greenwood's green face appeared to pale. He had failed that test the previous day and still had no idea of what or why. His brown eyes wandered to Hazina's face as he stepped towards her. He was distracted when Blackwater stepped in front of him and clapped him on the back.

"Where are you going? We have class in five minutes." He turned his friend to the index cards on the table. He, unlike many of the other people in his year, had seen Hazina in action at the mall against those five girls. Although Greenwood was sore about his second failure at the test, he knew the last thing the guy wanted was to get put on his back by a woman. He looked at Hazina's pointed ears. A Vulcan woman.

"I will assume that your open hostility towards me will not hinder our presentation." She clasped her hands behind her back. It was a logical statement.

They, aside from Moft, ignored her completely. She blinked and moved around the desk to retrieve her vibrating communicator from her bag. Her back went straight as she read the message from Aziza with narrowed eyes. Shi'Kahr had gotten herself a fight with a set of twins. They had beaten her up pretty bad. The fight had happened in the gym, but her sister had been transported to sickbay. Her communicator snapped shut before she walked around the desk and sat down again.

The class trooped into the room in clumps. Several people gave her awkward glances as they took their seats. One girl in particular stopped and looked at her with round eyes. She asked Hazina what she was doing there. Hazina blatantly ignored her as she turned to her computer. Beings, whether human, Vulcan or any race, were annoying and notorious for their thirst of attention. She stood and stared at the class with her blank expression and uninterested eyes until Captain D'Liva walked in carrying a cup of tea, his briefcase, and a thick wad of papers. The placed these things on his desk and walked over to the waiting group.

He gave each of them a quizzical look before clicking on something on his PADD. He called names and marked each answering student present. With a sigh, he acknowledged the class. "The presenters today will have the assigned time to complete their presentation. This includes the thirty minute minimum. You can ask questions then leave." He placed the PADD on his desk and picked up his tea. He moved to his customary seat at the front of the class. He placed a mini recorder on the desk and crossed his arms. He nodded to the waiting students.

The presentation, in itself, was designed to last at least forty minutes. Couple that simple fact with the obvious fact that Blackwater was fond of attention, the presentation rolled over by three minutes, leaving the students to ask questions in haste. Hazina stood with her hands on the table. She looked at a girl that had raised her hands. She was Andorian with her white hair cut in a bob. Her dark eyes fell upon Hazina as her lips stretched into a thin smile.

"Why is Cadet Uhura still presenting when her sister is in the infirmary?" Her standard was thickly accented.

Hazina stood straight and walked from around the desk. Her head lifted as her gaze moved from the faces on the lower rows to the girl sitting at the top. Most of people that knew what the girl was speaking of looked appalled that she would mention something so personal, but others looked confused. Hazina decided to not answer, which Blackwater took as a sign to remind that students to stay on topic. She began packing up her laptop.

"_So, Cadet Uhura does not care that her sister got destroyed by two girls?"_ The Andorian girl stood with her hands in fists. She spoke the words in her native tongue as if they were acid. Her dark eyes bore into the back of Hazina's head. _"At least your sister acts human." _

Why was the girl so bent on getting a response from her? She snapped her laptop case shut and inhaled deeply. Of course no one standing behind her would notice the action, but she did it to mentally shield herself against the illogical anger radiating from the girl. She swallowed and turned back to find that all the eyes of the people in the "audience" were upon her. She looked back at them blankly. What were they expecting from her?

"_Filthy Vulcan."_ The blue girl glared at her through narrowed eyes.

The blood drained from her face and her fingers interlocked tightly. Of all the insults people had thrown at her, calling her a Vulcan had not been one. Her father, one of the most important people to her, was half Vulcan. Her grandfather was full Vulcan. Her throat tightened; Kyleth was Vulcan. She blinked; the bag she held fell to the ground as she launched forward with the grace of puma. Her feet briefly touched the desktops as she leapt up each one quickly. Her fist slammed into the girl's jaw with as much force as she could throw behind it. Her palm fell flat on the desktop as she leaned sideways, and her foot smashed into the girl's shoulder with half as much force. A sickening crack resounded in the air as the girl flew back towards the wall.

Her head snapped up when the professor called her name. Her grip on her bag tightened. Why had she allowed herself to be distracted by thoughts? The people in the room were filtering out slowly, trying to linger in case Hazina actually did something worth seeing. She draped her bag over her shoulder and grabbed her laptop case. When the professor did not say anything, she took that as a sign that she could leave.

"I have always admired Vulcans and their ability to contain their emotions. Had you reacted with the violence I felt radiating from you, I believe Miss Khyzhon would not have made it to the infirmary. Also, your presentation was wonderful. I'm looking forward to your final research paper. That twelve page thesis you presented to me last week looks very promising. Well, I know you want to go see your sister, so, goodbye."

She nodded to him and left the room. It was time for her to see what had gotten her sister so worked up that she had to fight. Aziza appeared beside her as she got closer to the infirmary. She did not speak to her but continued her trek through the door. Aziza took the lead and led her to the room at the end of the hall. She pulled the curtain back. Shi'Kahr lay on the bed asleep with her arm in a sling. There was a dark bruise on her neck and jaw. Hazina sighed and walked to the bed. She stared down at her sister. She slept soundly with a frown on her young face. Hazina touched her dark hair gently before sitting in the chair beside the bed. Her communicator vibrated.

"Hello, mother." Hazina sat back in the chair.

"Hey! I was calling because I couldn't get in contact with your sister. I've been calling her since six o'clock. Tell her I said answer her communicator. Sulu found that book she was looking for. He sent it to her this morning." Her mother's voice was filled with amusement and happiness. She was happy a lot lately.

"Mother, Shi'Kahr has gotten into a fight that has left her incapacitated. I will tell her your message once she is awake."

"What?! What happened? God, Hazina, I asked you to look after her." She could hear the disappointment leak into her mother's voice. It was just like that time when she was six and spending her break on the Enterprise. Shi'Kahr had broken Nurse Chapel's favorite picture frame, and her mother had blamed her.

"Shi'Kahr has informed me on several occasions that she is an adult and capable of caring for herself. While I endeavor to be of assistance, I will not allow her shortcomings to impede upon my success." Hazina stood and walked towards the door. Although the sight of her sister on the bed looking fragile did make her uncomfortable, she had to think with logic. "From this moment on, I have decided that I will not intercede in any situation Shi'Kahr jumps into unless it is logical. I cannot allow myself to be expelled for her to fight over another person's mate. I cannot allow myself to be moved because she does others' research papers and unconsciously writes them to resemble her own. I will not. I value your respect and your love, but I can no longer do these things. She says she is an adult. I will give her the independence she craves."

"She is your sister! Logic has nothing to do with caring for your family, Hazina." Her mother was quiet for a few moments. She sighed. "How badly is she hurt?"

"She has suffered a broken arm and several bruises. I do not know what led to the confrontation." Hazina turned to find her sister resting on her left elbow and staring at her with round eyes. They stared at one another. Hazina pressed the speakerphone button on her communicator.

"Those twins are the younger sisters of the girl you pushed into the wall at the mall. They thought I would be as strong as you. They had bats. One of them punched me with some type of metal glove."

She could tell from the expression on her sister's face that she had heard all she had to their mother earlier. Aziza gave her a questioning look. "As it stands, this is the direct effect of a former confrontation I had. Believe me, mother, the problem will be handled."

"Hazina…" Her mother's voice held warning.

"Mother, you do recall that I was raised on Vulcan and taught the laws of Surak. I assure you that I will not seek these females out." Hazina nodded; she knew they would come to her.

"This is dangerous. Shi'Kahr, I'm restricting you to your room and classes. You cannot visit even Hazina. Hazina, be careful. I love both of you."

"Yes, mother. We love you as well." Hazina closed her communicator and looked at her sister. She walked to the end of the bed and rested her hands on the metal railing there. "I think it is time we expanded your training."

************************************************************************************************************************************************

_**A/N: The official flower for Australia is the Golden Wattle. They are pretty cool. The official flower for California is the Golden Poppy. I used their scientific names. Hazina isn't really as uncaring as she seemed. She was just pissed someone beat up "little sister." Oh, and she was trying to find a logical reason to not get involved.**_


	19. Us and Them

_**Star Trek isn't mine. **_

The proper word for such a situation would have been damnable, but Hazina did not like to think in such terms. She clasped her hands behind her back and walked towards her sister, who was still sporting a caste on her right arm. Shi'Kahr looked nervous as she weaved amongst the crowd towards Hazina. She was thankful her sister was taller than most of the people around them. Shi'Kahr did not know if this was a direct effect of her mother or father's heritage. Probably her mother's; Shi'Kahr was reminded again of how human Hazina looked but how Vulcan she lived. She felt slightly embarrassed for having given up on her beliefs in the teachings of Surak. She sighed. Hazina looked absolutely regal standing at the end of the path dressed in black slacks, a sleeveless black shirt with ruffles at the throat, and two inch tall black heels. Her hair, which Shi'Kahr had not seen free in over two years, was in a high ponytail and pinned so that it was in the shape of a ball; that was her typical hairstyle.

Shi'Kahr's hand felt clammy as it squeezed Hazina's warmer one. She looped her arm through Hazina's and rested her head on her sister's shoulder. They began to walk towards the port. Hazina found it strange that no action had been taken against either of the students involved in the incident that led to her sister's injury. Shi'Kahr, after three days, had grown accustomed to the itchy caste on her arm and the stares it got her. Her eyes darted around the campus as she struggled to keep up with her sister's long legs. She looked at the ground and tried to push the nervousness she felt away. Grandfather Sarek would probably be disappointed in her if he had been present. He had worked very hard to help her with all her emotions. She looked up when Hazina stopped walking.

Three girls and a boy sat on the bench at the port carrying equipment Hazina knew to be used for lacrosse. She moved so that Shi'Kahr stood more behind her than beside her. Her eyes swept the expanse of the campus before her. Aside from the four waiting for the shuttle, the area was completely deserted. She had half a mind to turn back and wait for the next shuttle, delaying their arrival and making them 3.45 minutes late. That thought was illogical and would lead to her being annoyed. She preferred to be at any appointment on time. Her heels clicked loudly as they approached the small group. They turned to look at the two of them.

The boy happened to be Jesse James; he was sporting a very short haircut that matched his brother's. His blue eyes moved between the two of them before he stiffened. He turned to the girls behind him. "Them?"

The three girls stood, making their faces more visible in the sunlight. Hazina looked down at Shi'Kahr when she felt the girl stiffen. Her vision moved back to the people in front of them. So, it had taken them three days to actually catch up with them. She had expected them to accost the two of them earlier, for Hazina had been absolutely resolved in keeping Shi'Kahr in her presence. Her chin tilted upwards as she gazed at the four of them. Were they really going to do anything? When Jesse stepped towards them she pressed her hand against Shi'Kahr's front and pushed the girl behind her. She and her sister had to have the most eventful lives on the campus. She narrowed her eyes at the boy staring at them.

"Sorry. If I had known it was you two…" He scratched his head and turned to the girls behind him. "Jamison would kill me. I mean, he doesn't like the tall chick or anything, but she's saved his ass more times than he can remember." He grabbed his gym bag and averted his gaze as he passed them.

Shi'Kahr's grip on Hazina's arm tightened as she realized that the three girls were actually the siblings that had started this mess. She inhaled deeply and dropped her arm to her side. If they attacked them, she would help her sister to the best of her abilities. Her brown eyes fell upon the stern expression her sister wore. She looked at the three girls again; if they didn't have weapons, then both of them would be fine. Hazina moved slightly and looked at Shi'Kahr with an expression of deep concern. "Stay here."

The girls look outright furious as Hazina walked towards them. The twin with the scratch underneath her eye tensed and crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes moved over

Hazina and she visibly gulped as she stared the approaching girl in the face. Hazina stopped six feet away from them.

"To what do we owe this honor?" She looked at each of them with her usual expressionless face.

The girl from the mall, the one with the aquamarine eyes, smirked and looked at Shi'Kahr. "We have unfinished business." She reached into her bag and pulled on two gray gloves that looked to be made from leather. A gleam of insanity crossed her eyes as she lunged for Hazina.

That was not exactly what she had planned when she'd walked over to them. Hazina jumped back and lifted her hand to stop Shi'Kahr from approaching. "Remain where you are." She stood and looked at the three of them. "My sister and I were raised to not engage in violence. Please desist from this meaningless fighting and return to your schedules."

The twin that had yet to speak said in a cold voice, "we cleared them for you."

She stood and stared at the three of them incredulously. Surely, these were the most illogical female humans in existence. She inhaled deeply as all three jumped her at the same time. Hazina found it acceptable to not respond to them with as much force as she would have done another attacker. She ducked the first two, but tackled the third girl and dropped her on the ground. She blocked several punches from the other twin and slammed her fist into the girl's stomach. Her hand slammed down on the girl's face as she shoved the girl aside. A sharp pain shuddered through her as she turned to the eldest sister. The girl caught her in the face with a hard punch. The force made her stumble back. So, she was using electronically enhanced gloves to fight her.

Hazina turned and kicked the twin in the stomach before ducking a punch that sent splinters from the wood of the post behind her. Her fist slammed into the girl's chin and she brought her foot down on her chest as she landed. She stepped away and caught the sister with the scratched face's wrist. She flipped the girl over onto her back and jumped away as the eldest sister swung at her again.

What was she going to have to do to get them to stop attacking her? She knew one of the twins was knocked out. A swift punch caught her in the side, and another slammed into her head. She was annoyed, in pain, and angry. Her elbow smashed into the girl's face and she kneed her in the stomach with enough force that the girl actually gagged. She fell to her knees with a red face. Hazina reached out and used the only technique she could to keep from hurting the girl too much. She crashed into the ground face-first.

Flipping her communicator open, she dialed in the number to the campus hospital. "There are three girls hurt by port 1-5-6. Please send a medical team and vehicle for assistance." She wiped a trail of blood from her mouth and motioned Shi'Kahr forward as the shuttle came to a stop. The driver looked from them to the girls lying on the ground but did not speak. He shrugged and drove away.

After they managed to cover as many of the bruises on her face that they could, they arrived at the show only two minutes and thirty two seconds late. Hazina sat next to Shi'Kahr with her eyes glued to the Orion woman twirling the metal loops on the stage. The screen behind her darkened and a male Orion walked onto the stage singing "Ave Maria." The woman threw her rings into the air. Instead of catching the rings, two poles with brilliantly bright orange ribbon fell into her grasp. Several people in the audience gasped. The woman continued to dance and twirl.

The pain in her head was starting to make her dizzy. Hazina clutched the armrest. She stood and fell back into her seat. Shi'Kahr wrapped her left arm around her sister's waist and led her from the auditorium. She couldn't have been happier that the apartment Joanna stayed in was only seven blocks from them. She flagged down a shuttle and pulled her sister on. Hazina may look thin, but she seemed to weigh a ton to Shi'Kahr. The girl took great care in calling Joanna before they even arrived outside the complex. The brunette stood in the lobby pacing. She helped Shi'Kahr carry the girl to the elevator and place her on the couch. She picked up her tricorder.

"What happened to her?" Joanna injected the girl with three hyposprays. "She has a concussion. And those are for pain."

"Those girls attacked us again." Shi'Kahr sat down on the couch.

Joana turned to her with round eyes. "I hope you are not referring to the girls that were transported to the infirmary half an hour ago. Those girls were beaten so…" She looked down at Hazina with round eyes. But she was the one that looked human. "Tell me what happened. It's not possible that your sister did that alone."

"On the contrary, Anna, she did fight them alone. This is my fault. I…" She looked at Joanna with round eyes. "Lieutenant Commander Davies is teaching me basic administrative command. He asked me for sexual favors. I obliged him. He has slept with and is sleeping with almost every girl that has come across him. Those twins actually care about him. It's sick and pathetic." She looked at the floor.

"They attacked you and your sister over a man? That's insane! This could cost you guys your education." Joanna said as she swept about the apartment in a flurry. She sighed and brushed her hand along Hazina's brow. The girl made a sound as her eyes fluttered open.

"Hazina was protecting me. I don't want her to get into trouble." Shi'Kahr scratched her right arm.

Upon hearing her name, Hazina eased herself up. She looked at Shi'Kahr with drowsy eyes. "I will not be expelled, ko-kai. There is working surveillance equipment at each port and lighting post on campus. It will be obvious that I was protecting myself."

A loud tapping at the door interrupted them. Shi'Kahr opened the door and gave the green woman standing there a lopsided grin. She took the girl into her arms and strutted over to the couch to kneel next to Hazina. The concern on her face caused her beauty to be disturbed by a deep frown. "I was so worried. People were whispering about a human girl with pointed ears that fainted. I'm sorry. I had to contact your mom. She came up with the bright idea that you'd be here. Shi'Kahr, call your mother." Gaila wrapped Hazina in a tight hug.

"Well, I'm sure everything was exciting, but Hazina needs to rest. Hazina, be thankful today is a Friday. You're going to stay here. Gaila? Is that your name? Could you take Shi'Kahr back to campus? Okay, Zina, I need you awake for the next twelve hours. I'm not a doctor, but I'm going to go talk to my dad." She turned and looked at the man leaving her bedroom. He stopped in his tracks and stared at all of them. His eyes lingered on Gaila long enough to cause Joanna a pang of jealousy. She stood. "Everyone, this is Christopher. Goodbye, Christopher."

Shi'Kahr rolled her eyes and handed her sister her communicator. Hazina swallowed and inhaled deeply before speaking. Her mother's voice was gentle as she tried to comfort her. Her brown eyes remained glued to her sister's face as her mother began to tell her about the mission they had just completed. Hazina was comforted by the fact that no matter where her mother was, she always managed to be of great solace for her. She sighed as she turned her head to the left. Her mother's voice cracked slightly. Then she could also have an iron hand when she wanted to.

"Mother, I assure you that I am fine. What happened today was just a way of things coming to an end. Shi'Kahr will no longer need to be my constant companion. However, I think you should give her a lecture." Hazina knew her mother would have glared at her at that moment and walked away to avoid "a moment of violence." The thought made her smile. They exchanged goodbyes before she gave Shi'Kahr back the phone.

"So, I have movies. I remember that you're fond of those movies made by that Shymalan guy. Several of his movies are playing on the historic director's channel." Joanna flipped on the television and handed Hazina the remote after she turned to the proper channel. "I'll be in to check on you every so often, but do not go to sleep until I deem it okay."

"Yes." She turned to the television. Gaila gave her a kiss on the forehead before she and Shi'Kahr left.

Hazina watched the television with apt attention for more than the allotted time. After watching "The Sixth Sense," "Signs," "The Village," "The Lady in the Water," and "The Happening," Hazina watched "The Virgin Suicides" and "Lost in Translation." She was in the middle of "Marie Antionette" when Joanna emerged from the bedroom with red eyes. The woman yawned slightly and scanned Hazina with her tricorder. The girl gently pushed her friend aside and marveled at the beautiful shoes on the screen. Her thumb pressed the pause button, and she slid from the couch to lower herself into a crouch before the screen. The most beautiful pink shoes she had ever seen were frozen on the television screen. Surely things like that were no longer made in their period of living. She turned to Joanna.

"You're as healthy as a horse. I would like you to wipe that silly powder off your face." She handed the girl a towel and gasped when she saw the bruises on her face. While there was nothing she could do about the bruises or busted lip, she did inject her with another hypospray as she turned back to the television. She looked at the screen. "Maybe the shoe store uptown can replicate those. Store the name of the movie in your head. "We'll go shopping after you've napped and changed. We'll also get some make-up for those bruises." She helped the girl over to the couch and smiled as her eyes closed. She surely seemed to be too gentle and kind to have done what she confessed to, but Joanna knew Hazina would not lie about anything. She sighed and went into her room to collapse on the bed again. She needed rest herself.

Although Hazina was several sizes large than her, Joanna had managed to find a pair of jeans and a thin blue satin shirt for the girl to wear. She had slipped back into her heels. Joanna wondered just how long Hazina's hair really was. She had yet to see the girl's hair free of its pins. Her blue eyes were hidden behind an expensive pair of sunglasses. She handed Hazina a similar pair and motioned for her to put them on. They left the apartment quickly. Several people stared at Hazina with round eyes. The bruises on her face easily attracted attention. The color had drained from her face and left her, in her own right, pale with purple shapes. The most prominent of the bruises was the one on her left cheek; it was the entire width and half the height of Joanna's palm.

"I do not like make-up." Hazina pushed the glass case away and shook her head at Joanna. "I would rather walk around like this. I find this commodity to be annoying and distracting. The amount of time it takes to apply it is illogical and can be spent doing more productive things. Also, that shade is too light for my complexion." She cracked a smile as she walked away.

Joanna's laughter was at a perfect pitch. Several people shot her glances, but she ignored them and ran to catch up with Hazina. She stopped walking and gave Joanna a sideways glance as they continued through the store. They stood in line to talk to the man at behind the large white counter ahead of them. Joanna took the time to call her father; Hazina spent the time staring at the wall and cataloguing the work that lay ahead of her. She had completely figured out that the one point she had taken off from her advanced physic's thesis had been caused by the fact that she had incorrectly spelled a famous Terran physicist. She turned her head when the man at the counter stared pointedly at the dark spots on her face. Joanna described the shoes to him perfectly. He disappeared through a door and did not return for exactly 4.45 minutes. Hazina inhaled at the sight of the pink shoes he had in the box. She reached into her pocket to pull out her credits, but Joanna pushed her arm away and slid the man her card. He gave them a strange look as he slid the box across the counter.

"I will pay for lunch then." Hazina clutched the box underneath her arm. She had begun to ignore the people staring at her. Her communicator vibrated. She flipped it open.

"Hello, Hazina." Kanshero greeted her in a quiet, almost hushed tone.

"Greetings, Kanshero. How are you?" Her mother told her that inquiring about one's health was important when talking to friends.

"I am fine. Something strange happened yesterday, but we are still intact. How are you?"

"Aside from the pain in back, I am well." Hazina shook her head when Joanna mouthed _hypospray_ to her. The woman was as insane about injecting people as her father was!

"What happened to your back?" Kanshero cleared his throat.

Hazina had a fleeting moment of thinking he was nervous or apprehensive about something. She ignored the fact that she should keep her personal matter to herself and told him what happened. She explained when he asked questions and allowed him to give his thoughts on the situation. While he stated that he supported her, she could hear the mild confusion when he inquired about Shi'Kahr. She realized, after he began to give her a brief summation of Shi'Kahr's character, that he was not confused but disgusted. He was disgusted with the way that her sister was behaving, but he would never come straight out and tell her that. No, she had made the deduction at the end of his monologue.

"I hope you haven't become as…popular as your sister. She's been there eight months and she's the second most popular female on campus." Kanshero sighed. She knew he had conflicting thoughts about this. Why was he holding back from being honest about his opinion?

"I have not and will not act in anyway similar to my sister. We are on two different paths." She was angry. Although she knew she had no right to be angry, she could not deny the fact that the emotion churned deep within her chest. She bit her tongue and told him that his stepbrother was no better than what he accused her sister of being. When he did not respond, she closed the communicator. She realized that the actions had been illogical and would lead to strain in her relationship with Kanshero. Why was he able to disrupt her emotional patterns so easily? She placed her shoes in the seat across from Joanna and excused herself to the bathroom. It was a single cubical with green tile floor patterns and green chrysanthemum painted on the white wall. She crossed her arms over her chest and sat down in the middle of the floor. She must relieve herself of the annoying emotion or she would not be able to function properly. Her eyes closed; she slowed and deepened her breathing.

Several memories that were not her own barraged her. She slowed her thoughts and tried to push these things into the back of her mind. What she wanted was to be free of the red smoldering her emotions. What she found, however, was an even greater emotion wrapped beneath that one; a medium shade of orange. Her lips pressed together and she stiffened. Surely, she was not infatuated with Kanshero. She was angry with him. Kyleth! She swallowed and searched for the link she had to him. When she found it, she called and reached for him. He acknowledged her with a memory he had of the two of them walking in the desert with Solin trailing behind them. She felt her stomach began to flutter again and saw the red in the corner of her mind turn into a light shade of yellow. Her heart thudded in her chest as another memory appeared. They stood on the veranda behind her grandfather's house staring at the moon. The emotions Kyleth felt as he watched her pushed into her mind like worms. He had been fascinated and intrigued. He also had feelings for her hidden in the back of his mind.

She showed him the memory of her recent conversation with Kanshero. When the red had begun to reform in her mind, he did something Hazina found disturbing; he stopped the memory. It was replaced by one of him standing at the beginning of a path that led into the mountains. Fear shook him as his dark eyes scanned the towering shapes before him. He swallowed and began his trek. He chanted a single sentence to himself as his fear melted away. _I am worthy._ The memory stopped abruptly. She felt him slowly pulling away from her.

Her mind was overwhelmed with shades of white and yellow. Her throat tightened as her eyelids fluttered open. Objective complete. She inhaled deeply and stood to look at herself in the mirror. Although she had been young when she had first seen the pale yellow color in her mind, her grandfather had explained to her exactly what it meant. Her jaw clenched as her brown eyes widened. It was the emotion called love.


	20. Hug Every Friend

_**None of the Star Trek stuff is mine. **_

Her midterm for advanced physics had been so easy that she had been tempted to inquire about the true nature of the exam. Instead, she'd exited the room in silence and removed her PADD from her bag and began walking towards the library. Her last exam was in the same building, but the class was called metaphysics. She kept her eyes averted as she continued to walk. Although the bruises were gone from her face, people still gave her sideways glances. The three girls that had attacked her had been put on academic probation due to her begging the administration for leniency. Aziza and Shi'Kahr had been strongly against that; even Kanshero, after he called and apologized, had told her that it would be best if the girls took a break. Hazina did not want to think that she would be included in anything that led to someone else's failing. Was that her human or Vulcan side?

She dropped down onto the couch in the corner and began to study her notes. Midterms were one of her most disliked times of the year. One more test and she would be done. She would be free to work on anything she wanted for an entire week. She pressed her head against the back of the couch. Maybe she could come up with an idea as to why her sister had become so sullen over the past few days. While Hazina did not blame Shi'Kahr for what happened, the girl was obviously having conflicting emotions. She should not have let her human side win out over logic. She pushed the thoughts away and focused on her notes again. Those thoughts would be better served later.

Aziza sat on her bed clutching a pillow to her chest and gushing at the television screen. She had taken her last midterm the day before. She threw the pillow at Hazina. "We're going out to celebrate tonight! How did you do on the final two?"

"Excellent." Hazina sat on her bed and began to watch the television. There was a special on how the first starship engine had been constructed. Hazina kicked off her boots and moved further onto her bed. She had not made an attempt to contact Kyleth since he had left her almost drowning in an emotion that was foreign to her. She sighed and stared at the wall. It wasn't just relationships with humans that were complicated. She stiffened when the show Aziza was watching flipped over to the sound of a wailing siren.

"Oh, my…God!" A loud thud was heard from the other side of the room.

Hazina hesitated in looking at the television. That sound meant so much in her life that she was nearly struck immobile with fear. One of Starfleet's shipped had been attacked. She rolled over and stared at the television with narrowed eyes. The door to their room burst open and Shi'Kahr ran in flushed and breathing heavily. Hazina's brown eyes went to the television. A large weight left her chest when she saw that it was not the Enterprise, but a ship called SS Charles. Her head lowered and her eyes closed as she allowed herself the comfort. She looked up suddenly when Aziza gasped. Wasn't that the ship…

"Oh, God." Aziza sat on the floor with her legs bent in an odd angle and her hands covering her mouth. She looked at Hazina with round eyes. "Kanshero." Her voice was strangled as she choked out his name and began to sob. Shi'Kahr wrapped her in a tight hug and rested her cheek against the top of Aziza's head.

Hazina sat on the bed struck between feelings of remorse and, dare she think it, grief. She tried to swallow, but found that her throat had gone dry. Her communicator vibrated on her desk. She opened it and continued to stare at the television, reading every update that appeared. The ship had been totally destroyed with only two of the five shuttles escaping to safety. None of the people on the screen were Kanshero.

"Did you hear me? Breathe." Her mother, again, was the voice of comfort in her ear.

She inhaled deeply but found it impossible to remove the heaviness she felt upon herself. "I am fine, mother." It was not a complete lie.

"Hazina, I know Kanshero was your friend…"

"Death is a natural part of life, mother. While I admit that he held significance to me because of our friendship, I cannot allow his death to-"

Aziza had, at some point and time, stood. The back of her hand slapped Hazina's right cheek. She glared at her roommate through thick tears before walking from the room.

Shi'Kahr sighed. "While you are able to keep your emotions hidden, Hazina, Aziza is still entirely human. Do not say such things in the presence of people that do not share our Vulcan way of thinking." Her hand brushed her sister's cheek before she went to find their wailing friend.

"Mother, is it not illogical to become upset with someone because of their different beliefs?"

"It is. Sometimes, I still find your father unbearable, but I love him all the more dearly. Be there for Aziza, Hazina. Be there for your friends. Share your strength with them." She sighed. "I'm going to let you go find Aziza. I love you, darling."

"Farewell, mother."

Finding Aziza was not exactly as easy as Hazina had predicted. The tightness in her throat and chest had loosened. Although grief stood strong at the front of her mind, she made not attempt to push it away. Perhaps the emotion would make it easier for her to deal with her friend. She stood at the entrance to the gardens fro several moments. Her feet carried her forward quickly. Aziza had not been in either of her usual hiding places, so Hazina deduced that she had retired to a place Kanshero enjoyed. She was correct in her assumptions. On a bench of thick mahogany, Aziza had her face covered and her head lowered. Hazina rested her left hand gently upon the girl's shoulder. She turned towards the pond behind them when her hazel eyes met her brown gaze.

"He always sat here and stared at the flowers floating in the water. He said they reminded him of you. 'See how they are amongst one another and share similarities, yet stand out as individuals even when in the group?' And you don't have the emotions to even acknowledge his death." Aziza rubbed her eyes.

"You are incorrect, Aziza. I do grieve for Kanshero, but I do not allow my grief to show."

Aziza stood and gripped Hazina's shoulders tightly. "Let it show, Zina." She shook her gently. "You are almost as human as I am."

"Yet, I was not raised as such. While my mother did maintain her supreme matriarchy from the Enterprise, my grandfather saw it appropriate that I deal with experiences the Vulcan way. Crying and disruption will only cause others pain. My pain will be dealt with as I deal with everything else." She looked her friend in the eyes.

"You'll meditate it away. I wish my life could be as easy." Her hands fell to her sides as she walked beyond Hazina and stared at the flowers.

Hazina stood beside her and followed her gaze. She wrapped her arm around Aziza's shoulders and allowed her to rest her head on her shoulder. She smiled as she remembered the time Kanshero had almost fallen into that very pond. The weight lightened and she breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes closed as she allowed herself to respond to the small pulling at the back of her mind. Her thoughts were covered in dark gray. She knew Kyleth had called out to her just as her grief had probably distracted him from whatever it was that he was doing. She saw him sitting in the middle of the floor. He looked up at her with a blank face, but his eyes spoke volumes. He stood and opened his arms to her. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his waist tightly. She breathed in the strange fragrance of ginger which she always attributed to him. Her hand moved up his back, and she touched his cheeks as they stared into one another's eyes.

"_Is this an emotion you want to keep, Hazina?" _ He stared into her eyes. His dark gaze was smoldering enough to increase her heart rate. She did not answer, and he took that as a sign of her acquiescing. His lips brushed her forehead as he pulled her against him tighter. _"Death is natural. Focus on your positive experiences with him. Do not let the passing of people you care for be a burden." _

"_You are strong, Kyleth. I need…" _

His mouth covered hers hungrily. He pressed her against him tightly and slid his hand over her cheek. _"I cannot let you suffer. I have never and will never." _He pulled away from her.

The grief she felt leaked away from her mind like paint running from a canvas. She opened her eyes and tightened her hold on Aziza. She was filled with complacency and a small need to be in Kyleth's arms again. His words came back to her. She opened her mouth and quoted them to Aziza. " 'Focus on the positive experiences with him.' Do not let your having met him be a burden."

She stiffened when Aziza wrapped her in a hug. A sigh escaped her as she enveloped her friend in her arms. There were times when being illogical was just the logical thing to do.

The memorial was held the Tuesday of their break. Hazina sat beside Aziza wearing thin lace gloves with Aziza's hand clasped in hers. It was a beautiful ceremony with people from all over the planet in attendance. Hazina wore a simple black dress and thin black lace gloves that stopped at her wrist. She wore tall black heels. Aziza told her that wearing black was appropriate for a funeral, but Shi'Kahr sat beside her dressed in a thin orange cotton button down shirt and khaki slacks with brown heels. Her sister's hair hung over her shoulders in thick waves. She had one of Hazina's hairclip holding her hair away from her face.

The entire ceremony lasted 3.24 hours. She followed Aziza to their room. They remained silent. Hazina placed her gloves in a purple satin box and pushed it back into her closet when she was done. She allowed herself a moment of true humanity as she sat on the bed and kicked off her shoes. Her emotions welled within her as she lay flat on her back. In that moment, she accepted Kanshero's death; she accepted that she would never see or talk to him. She accepted these things. Yet, she could not remove the new feeling of loss that welled within her. She ignored Aziza's look of concern and buried her face in her pillow. Her heart deserved some relief, so she cried. Her body did not move as the tears fell to the soft pillow underneath her. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. Although she continued her silent sobbing, she allowed herself to fall asleep.

_**A/N: The demise of Kanshero. I know. I know. I'm mean. I'm sure this could have been more emotional, but I am one of those people that suck at writing on these subjects. Hope I edited enough! **_


	21. Forget the Experts

_**I don't own anything related to Star Trek. This chapter has lots of girl talk.**_

Soft. The dirt underneath her naked feet was so soft that her body was having a strange reaction to it. Squatting, she dipped her hand into the substance and looked to Joanna with wide eyes. What was this strange material that made her feel as if she would sink into the body of the earth? Several bumps stood on her arm as the crystals slipped through her fingers back to the ground. Joanna stood several feet away from her smiling and clutching her towel against her chest. They most definitely were not going to sit in that area. Aziza clapped happily and ran ahead. Removing her shirt, she ran her fingers through her with a large grin. She wore a magenta colored two piece bathing suit. A loud sigh escaped her as she deposited herself onto the dirt Joanna called sand. Although Hazina argued against this for the mere fact that sand on Vulcan was much softer and red, she realized, after looking through a search engine on her communicator that Joanna was correct. She picked up another handful as she sat on the large towel. Fascinating.

"You don't have sand on Vulcan?" Aziza pushed on a pair of large sunglasses. She lay back on her elbows and stared out into the blue water.

"Yes, but it is much lighter and redder." She wiped her hands and lifted her shirt over her head. Unlike Joanna, who was dressed in a pastel blue color bikini, Hazina wore a simple yellow one piece. She wrapped her arms around her chest, which was no where near being revealed.

Aziza pulled her arms away and frowned. "We are here to enjoy ourselves. Relax, Hazina."

She eased back until her pose was identical to Aziza's. Her pulse quickened when a tall man with bleached hair stopped stared at the three of them. Joanna smiled; she turned her head; Aziza waved her hand as if dismissing him. He muttered a Terran curse word as he continued his jog. Aziza had broken up with Frederick a week after the SS Charles situation. She told him that life was too short for her to settle for a guy that wanted nothing but her body. Hazina asked her friend about Lieutenant Commander Davies. Aziza explained that the man simply refused to stop sleeping with her; he always accused her of cheating and plagiarism behind closed doors. Aziza insisted she did not have as much support and proof as Hazina did. Trying to contest that man would have proven to be an utter failure on her part; she _had_ to have sex with him. Even so, he had finally moved on when she began crying during class. He had not accosted her in nearly a week.

"If you were having sex, I do not understand why you did not get on contraceptives." Hazina looked at her friend. Although she felt the time inappropriate for the conversation, she realized that they were sitting in a nearly deserted area of the beach. She covered her eyes with her hand and looked at Aziza.

"I forgot. Dealing with the stress of being harassed by Davies and trying to pass those two core classes I needed, getting my contraceptive shot completely skipped my mind. I was too focused on what was important to me. I know worrying about having a kid is important, but nothing has meant more to me than getting into this place. Even if I am on a starship for just a week, I would die happy." She chewed on her upper lip and looked up again as if she was staring at the water.

"David tells me that he will graduate soon. Do you all keep in touch with him?" Joanna looked at Hazina with a smile.

"No. I have met David on two occasions. The first time, he was angry and immature. The second time I met him, it was over a communication link. He was more reserved, but somewhat naïve. He reminds me of Uncle Jim in some ways." Hazina adjusted the umbrella and lay on her back so that she stared up at the bright blue sky.

"You're not interested in him?" Joanna lifted her hands. "I'm asking because he is interested in Shi'Kahr. I think she's surprised to find someone is actually interested in her brain, but she doesn't like him the way he thinks." Joanna sighed and brushed her fingers across her forehead.

"How is David compared to Kyleth?" Aziza looked at the two of them.

"Must you compare every male in my life to Kyleth?" Hazina covered her frown quickly.

"Yes. I know when you dream, Hazina, you always whisper his name. You've never once whispered Kanshero or David. Ugh. I know you were never interested in Jamison. He never saw you as more than a tutor. Davies just enjoys the feel of sticking his magic wand in any warm hole he can find. So does Frederick. Do you know that he is the second guy in my entire life that I had sex with? The thing with Davies didn't start til about two months after I started with Frederick. That jerk had sex with Katherine Seltzer."

"The blond with the weird violet colored eyes?" Joanna frowned when Aziza nodded. "When?"

Aziza chuckled. "Don't worry. I got myself tested. I'm negative. He's negative, but it must have been disturbing for her to contract such an ancient sexual disease from whoever she got it from. Filthy whore. Oh, man. That guy is selling hot dogs. Sweet!" Aziza jumped up and ran to the vendor.

"She obviously thought that one of us had a low opinion of her." Hazina crossed her legs and stared out at the ocean. She answered Joanna's unvoiced question. "She wouldn't have volunteered such personal information if she did not."

"How is your mother?" Joanna tried to change to subject.

"Strong. She amazes me. She is lightyears away in space, yet she has enough influence to control us here on Earth." Hazina looked at Joanna with raised eyebrows.

"She is a fearsome woman. I still wish she was my mother though. It was so horrible growing up with that witch of a woman. I used to blame dad, but I got over that when I hit high school. Mother is just a miserable person." Joanna swept her dark hair from her face by pushing her sunglasses up onto her head. She looked at Hazina with a smile. "The church I go to is having an Easter celebration. I know you're preparing for exams and all, but it will be a great break. Plus, you've never been to an Easter celebration."

Aziza handed Joanna a hotdog and Hazina a pretzel. "I love Easter."

"You're a Christian?"

Aziza nodded. "Church of Christ."

"Baptist." Joanna smiled widely. What respectful southern woman wasn't a Baptist?

"I will attend these services." Hazina bit into the pretzel to find that it was cinnamon and sweet instead of the saltiness she expected. She blinked and savored the gentle sweetness invading her senses.

"I broke up with Christopher." Joanna rolled her eyes at the reaction both women gave her. "I just felt insecure with him looking at every woman that walked by."

"But you are beautiful, Joanna. Christopher's actions were illogical and insulting. He is the one that will suffer for his loss." Hazina took another bite of her pretzel.

"Yeh, he is." Aziza nodded thoughtfully.

"Thanks, guys!" Joanna sighed.

"There you are!" Tira ran towards them clutching a large towel and umbrella.

Shi'Kahr was three steps behind holding a cooler and a brown basket. She set the things on the orange towel and squeezed between Aziza and Hazina. After taking a piece of Hazina's pretzel, she lay on her stomach staring in the opposite direction. "Do you think black is okay for a date? I have a nice dress that I want to wear."

"Who is the date?" Aziza was rifling through the basket beside her. She slapped Tira's hand away.

"Yeh, you haven't been out on a date in a long time. Who is he?" Joanna dug her toes into the warm sand. It truly was a pleasant Saturday.

"David. He graduates in May. He is joining a crew here when they go on a joint mission. He's in the academy branch in New York." Shi'Kahr smiled freely.

"I never understood why he went to the academy in New York. I suppose he just wanted to see new things. He is in the tactical division right? I know he knows how to fly a ship." Joanna's voice was muffled as she chewed on her hotdog.

"That explains the messages you left open on my laptop. That also explains your sudden preference for solitude and celibacy. I am relieved." Hazina swept a piece of dirt from her bathing suit.

Shi'Kahr rolled her eyes. "Thank you for insulting me, ko-kai." She pushed her hair behind her ears and turned to Aziza. Hazina knew that the move meant the conversation was over with.

"Let's go for a swim before we eat!" Aziza jumped up and ran into the water. Tira laughed and ran in after her with Shi'Kahr trailing them.

"We just ate…" Joanna's eyes were round as she watched her friends tussling and running in the water. She looked at Hazina with raised eyebrows. Maybe it would be fine. She pulled the girl into the water and laughed at the red that crept into her cheeks when the cold water hit her. She dived in and swam to the others.

Hazina stood and walked back to the blanket. Being in sixty-five degree water did nothing to help her body temperature. She flattened her curling hair and sat down on the large beach towel she shared with Joanna. Who was she kidding? It had taken Kyleth ninety-two days and thirteen hours to completely help her get over that one incident she had had on their tiny beach. She pressed her lips together and brushed her hand over her cheek. She was going to have to wash, dry, and straighten her hair all over again.

"Hey!" Tira stared at the sandwich in her hand. "This is really good, Aziza. And Joanna you did a great job with that dip!" Tira tossed several chips into her mouth.

Shi'Kahr bit into her sandwich and could barely contain the satisfaction in her eyes. She fell flat onto her back and continue to eat. Her hand found another sandwich as soon as the first one was finished. She, unlike Hazina, had began to build muscle mass from all the exercising she did. Her eyes wandered over to her sister's never changing figure. Hazina popped the cheese roll into her mouth and looked at her sister. Why was she staring at her like that? As a matter of fact, she realized that the others were staring at her as well.

"How do you eat so much, exercise so little, but remain the same?" Aziza looked down at the pizza roll in her hand.

"I rarely eat more than what is needed for nutrition. My body is bigger than all of yours." Hazina chewed on another cheese roll.

"Aziza you eat a lot." Tira said, staring at the last pizza roll her friend held in her hand.

She chuckled. "I have high metabolism." Aziza tossed the pizza roll into her mouth and sipped her coke before picking up a cheese roll.

"Be ready at ten tomorrow, guys! You too, Tira. Wear a nice light colored dress. We're going to an Easter program." Joanna finished the small amount of food she had on her plate. How were the four of them able to eat so much?

They each nodded and kept their attention on the circle of food in the middle of their group. Hazina turned her attention to the fruit and yogurt before her. Who had come up with the bright idea to bring along something that was annoyingly nostalgic to her? Fruit and yogurt was one of her favorite snacks when she was younger and staying on the Enterprise. She dipped a piece of sliced green apple into the yogurt and bit into it. The fruit was crisp and juicy. She hid her joy and continued to munch on the apple. Being at the beach wasn't so bad after all.

~8~

Aziza threw another dress onto the bed and muttered a string of curse words in Swahili as she picked up the yellow dress then the orange one again. She turned to Hazina, who was already dressed and sitting on her bed watching with a raised eyebrow. Hazina wore a simple lavender colored, sleeveless satin dress that had a small jacket with it. Her black heels stood at four inches beneath her long legs. Her brown eyes moved between the two dresses before settling on the tangerine colored one. The color went well with Aziza's complexion. Her roommate nodded and slipped the dress on. She hung the other dresses back in her closet and pulled out a white box. A pair of shoes of the same color with tall heels lay inside. She sighed and gave Hazina a wide smile.

Joanna drove them to the church in a shiny car that matched the color of the sky. The car was a Toyota Camry. Hazina sat in the passenger seat contemplating if her decision to attend the church had been a good idea. She remained silent as they made their way inside the overly tall building. The colored glass struck her as some form of art. She sat beside Joanna with Shi'Kahr beside her then Aziza and Tira. They remained silent as the program commenced several minutes later.

It was beautiful. The children sang songs and spoke poetic words in respect of their archaic religion. Hazina simply marveled that humans could have such deep devotion to a being they could not even see. Her hands were clasped on her lap as she allowed herself a small smile when the three year olds came onto the stage to sing a song about a resurrected Jesus. Her hear felt light when the kids began a play about a virgin that became pregnant and gave birth to the holy child. He grew up doing miracles, but those same miracles cause him to be punished by a horrible death. Hazina's jaw clenched through the entire ordeal. It was illogical for the people to be so cruel to someone that had helped them. It was even more illogical that he was able to rise from the death at the end of the play. She pressed her finger against her chin. On second thought, perhaps his katra had simply entered someone else and returned to his body later on. That was the only logical explanation; it was also an explanation that she found interesting.

The people passed out small baskets that had assorted candy and eggs. Hazina stared at the things with earnest eyes as she sifted through the candy. She instantly handed Aziza all the chocolate. Aziza, in turn, gave Hazina one of her eggs. They sat on the floor of Joanna's apartment. Their shoes were lined neatly by the couch as they ate their candy and chatted. Joanna emerged from her room carrying a game of Scrabble. Everyone protested that the game would be won by Hazina, and that would be a complete waste of time.

Joanna nodded and produced Monopoly. They clapped happily and gathered around the game. Hazina picked up the manual and read through it quickly. This game could be beaten as long as she made logical decisions and kept control of her money. After Aziza won the first round, Hazina found that many other variables had to be factored into the equation if she was going to use logic. She smiled and picked up the die; logic would be ignored for the time being.

_**A/N: Yes, the time is shifting quite gradually, in case you didn't notice. So many people thought Aziza was dirty, so I thought I'd try to work on her image. I can't have people thinking she is dirty when she has a huge role to play later on. Her graduation is in the next chapter. Oh, and no offense to southern people that aren't Baptist. *shrugs***_


	22. Each Other

_**I don't own anything related to Star Trek. **_

Hazina waited in front of the coliseum with her hands clasped in her front. She stood staring at the dozens of vehicles some parents had driven to ceremony. Her brown eyes swept the massive campus slowly until she saw Joanna and Shi'Kahr approaching from the direction of the dorms. They were having a casual conversation that had both of them smiling. Joanna waved to her excitedly, and they began to walk faster. Her sister avoided looking at her; she knew that Hazina hated to be late for anything. They were currently two minutes and thirteen second late. Hazina brushed her hair from her forehead

She turned and joined them as they went inside. Shi'Kahr kept her chin tilted upward as she stared at the ceiling. The building was as cold as Aziza had worn, so both sisters had worn jackets. Hazina pushed her hands into the pockets of the dress pants she wore and looked at the sea of hats on the floor. Aziza's hat was decorated with glitter and white roses. She turned and waved to her friends. Shi'Kahr gave her thumbs up as she sat next to Aziza's aunt. Hazina nodded to her then directed her attention to the dean standing at the podium. Although she knew what he was saying was important, she also knew that the tugging in the back of her consciousness was nowhere near going away. She glanced at Shi'Kahr. Her lips were pressed together tightly, but her brown eyes were glued to the man on the stage. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to flow towards the link she shared with Kyleth.

Instead of actually seeing him this time, Hazina found herself standing on a beach with white sand and vividly blue water. Her naked feet took several steps as she moved towards the clutter of trees. Surely, Kyleth had not allowed himself to fall asleep and unconsciously pulled her into his dream. As much as she wanted to see him, Hazina did not enjoy the thought of being pulled away from her friend's graduation to be there. Her brown eyes gazed at the thin silver dress she wore. The fabric was soft against her suddenly chilled skin. Squatting, she sifted her hand through the soft sand underneath her feet. After realizing she was in an inappropriate position, she stood and cleaned her hands off on the dress. She resolved to find Kyleth so that she could return.

There was a mat of black hair floating underneath the large and rumbling strength of the waterfall she found. With a smile, she jumped into the water and began to swim towards him. The water was pleasantly warm against her skin. Her voice was muffled by the sound of the water as she called out to him. He looked up at her with raised eyebrows. The expression on his face changed suddenly. He frowned deeply and closed his eyes. _This is not right._ He turned away from her. Why was she even there? He stiffened when he felt her palms flat on his back.

He was hot. Hazina rested her cheek against the gentle expanse of his back and allowed her body temperature to merge with his. Her palms moved from his back to caress the softness and hardness of his torso. Although he had gone still underneath her touch, he did not stop her from exploring the smoothness and heat o his skin. His hands clamped down on her wrists before he turned to her with a confused expression. He stared into her shining brown eyes. He looked at the messy ponytail on her head as he lowered himself into the water. _I'm sorry. You shouldn't be here. I mean, not your consciousness. _

The moment those words moved from his mind into hers, an exact copy of her rose from the water. The only thing that covered her nude body was the thick mat of curly black hair flowing down her shoulders. She stood waist high in the water gazing at Kyleth with eyes of pure adoration. Hazina felt a sudden pang of jealousy. She heard Kyleth chuckle. _It is quite illogical to envy one's self, dear._ He held his hand out to her. She wrapped her arms around him as she pressed her smiling face into his neck. His hands traveled down to the small of her back slowly. The rise and fall of his chest increased with his heart rate. Hazina inhaled deeply and turned so that she could walk away. He was right.

Her eyes fluttered open as Shi'Kahr jabbed her in the ribs. She looked at her sister with raised eyebrows. They were calling the graduates to the stage. Trying to calm her racing pulse, she began the mental chant her mother had taught her. She smiled as Aziza walked across the stage. While she found ignoring Kyleth the next time he tried to connect with her may be unwise, she knew that she would not like to experience such a situation again. Did he have to be so embarrassed about the dream? She stood and followed Shi'Kahr from the coliseum.

Aziza appeared and enveloped each of them in a tight hug. They took several pictures together before leading her aunt to the dorm where they stayed. Joanna bounced down on Hazina's bed, careful to avoid the neatly packed suitcase. Her blue eyes looked at the open suitcases on Hazina's bed with interest. The girl closed them quickly and was thankful when Hazina held her carry all but the largest to electronic cart outside the door.

"That memorial they gave all the seniors that died on the SS Charles was just beautiful." Aziza wiped away several tears as she tossed several pairs of flip flops into a duffle bag on the floor. The thin yellow summer dress she wore rose slightly as she leaned over the bed in search of something she may be leaving behind. She blinked in surprise when a yelp from behind pulled her from her reverie.

Joanna sat in front of Hazina's laptop smiling as Solin gaze was locked on the brown skinned girl leaning over the bed. He snapped to attention when her hazel gaze fell upon his darker one. His eyes darted to his sister who wore a blank expression, but he knew her eyes were laughing.

He nodded to them and asked one question. "Are you leaving tomorrow?"

Hazina gave him a simple nod as a response, but Aziza got excited and bounced over to the computer. "Yeh! Do you think I should bring more dresses or pants? Is it very humid there?"

Solin looked to his older sister for some sort of rescue. She inhaled slightly and answered for her suddenly bashful brother. "It is humid, but the suns are not as harsh as in Africa." Hazina stood and stacked her three suitcases. She would never admit it aloud, but moving all this stuff back and forth was a pain. Her brown eyes darted to Aziza; her friend looked to be floating around the room as she sneaked peeks at her brother through the lace shawl she had already folded twice. Her eyebrow rose at the expression her brother wore. Shi'Kahr emerged from the kitchen clutching a bagel covered in melted Swiss cheese and pepperoni; she had given up being a vegetarian the first time she tried pizza. She stopped and stared at her brother with round eyes; he was having a conversation with Joanna but watching Aziza at the same time.

"Solin, Joanna and I are going to her apartment. Contact us on Joanna's line in twenty minutes." Shi'Kahr chewed on her food hungrily. The screen went black. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at Hazina; typical male.

If she had not known better, Hazina would have accused Shi'Kahr of being jealous of her brother's interest in Aziza. She gave her sister and Joanna tight hugs. The ship they were scheduled to leave on was departing at five the following morning. She sat on the bed and watched as Aziza pushed several scarves into her duffle bag. Surely, she did not need all those things. She waved Hazina along as they escorted her aunt to the shuttle port. The woman was taking most of Aziza's belongings back to Africa with her. She gave her niece a warm hug and a kiss on the forehead. She also hugged Hazina before she got on the shuttle.

They stood in silence for several moments. Aziza gave Hazina a large smile. "Let us feast! I have not eaten since yesterday. I was so nervous I thought I would throw up, so I didn't eat."

"Italian." Hazina had become quite fond of Italian dishes over the past few months. She nodded when Aziza eagerly agreed.

They returned to the room for their money and credits. Hazina changed into a pair of black knee length Capri pants and a peach colored shirt. She pulled on her black gym shoes and followed Aziza from their room quickly. The shuttle arrived just as Aziza was recounting scenes to her roommate. Hazina found that Aziza did, in fact, have a very vivid photographic memory. Although she could not remember much of what was said, she remembered where each person sat and what was on each decorated hat. She found the information fascinating and contradictory at the same time. Why had Aziza had such a problem remembering what she studied? She did not ask her roommate.

They sat in silence staring at the basket of steaming breadsticks in the middle of the table. The white tablecloth was flattened perfectly and carried not one stain. Hazina ordered a bottle of champagne. She had been saving up her money for no apparent reason. She decided that celebrating Aziza's commencement would be worth the four hundred dollars. Because she did not drink, she did not know what affect the alcohol would have on her system. Her eyes widened as the head administrator and three others walked into the very restaurant. The woman noticed them sitting together. They walked to the table. She and Aziza stood.

"It is a surprise to see you here but also a stroke of luck." The dark woman smiled as she looked to her colleagues, who nodded in turn. "Both of you have been suggested by several of your instructors to join in on the joint exploration that is to begin this summer on the USS Ivan. It is our latest ship built for exploration of life in the further beta quadrant." She looked at the pale woman with the white hair standing beside her.

"We have approved that you two should be on this mission. I'm sure you are aware of the most recent attack on the Federation ship SS Charles. We will have ships within range in case assistance is needed, but the beta quadrant has been a peaceful area for the past one hundred and thirteen years. I, myself, am an offspring of a small planet known as Jadikelemma. My race has existed for centuries, but recently found two decades ago. Exploration opens doors to much learning." The woman smiled at both of them.

Hazina stared the woman in the eyes. "I have read the books written on the exploration of your home planet. Your people are peaceful and of high telepathic ability."

She smiled. "As are yours, daughter of Spock."

"I will join your expedition." Hazina nodded once.

"I will too. I've graduated. Being commissioned is a great achievement. I am grateful. When will this mission occur?" Aziza smiled at them. While she did want to go on the ship, Hazina could tell that her friend did not want her summer plans to be disrupted.

The dark woman spoke again. "The USS Ivan is scheduled to ship out on the third day of August. You will return on the fifteenth day of December. I have become aware of your travel to Vulcan. The travel time between Vulcan and Earth has been established at eight days on warp eight. Starfleet will be transporting cargo from Vulcan on the July 20th of the Terran calendar. You shall return then."

"Your assignments shall be given to you then." The pale woman nodded and gave them a wide grin.

"Thank you." Hazina and Aziza spoke in unison. They waited until their superiors were out of hearing range before Hazina allowed herself a smile and Aziza laughed.

Aziza clapped happily as the waiter poured champagne into their glasses. She tipped hers towards Hazina to toast to long life and great achievements ahead. Hazina nodded to this and sipped her drink. The bubbles tickled her nose, but it did taste pleasant. She drank the liquid quickly and allowed Aziza to refill both their glasses. They ate al dented pasta smothered in vegetables and cheesy alfredo sauce. Aziza ordered baked chicken and broccoli. For desert they had strawberry cheesecake and pineapple pound cake. They finished the bottle of champagne, paid their bill and left for campus.

Aziza sang loudly as they walked to their dorm. Hazina had to admit that she had a pleasant feeling about her. Did the four glasses of champagne have something to do with the strange feeling she had? She crawled into her bed and stared at the wall and listened to Aziza's bad singing until her friend fell asleep. She would be back on Vulcan soon. She fell asleep with thoughts of Kyleth and the fact that is was barely ten o'clock.

Hazina bolted awake and glanced at the clock. It was forty minutes past two. She stretched and went into the bathroom. After a shower, combing her hair, and brushing her teeth, she roused Aziza. Her friend groaned, but dragged herself to the bathroom. Hazina dressed in a mid thigh length royal blue dress with elbow length sleeves. She closed all of her belongings in her suitcase and waited on the bed. Aziza emerged thirty minutes later with her hair brushed in a ponytail. The white dress she wore was cotton with thin straps. She placed her things in her duffle bag and pulled on a pair of white sandals. She nodded to Hazina.

They made it to the main port with ten minutes to spare. Hazina dropped her bags on the floor beside the twin bed in the room she and Aziza would share for the next two weeks. She yawned and crawled onto the sheets with a small smile. Aziza's snores were soft like music. She allowed her friend's snores and the promise of Vulcan lead her back into a pleasant sleep.

_**A/N: Yes, I completely made up that Admiral's planet and race. **_


	23. Safe With You

Her grandfather was the only person to greet them. He stood in front of his door with his hands clasped behind his back; he was his typical stone-face self. Life was business as usual as he took his granddaughter into a tight hug and bowed to the girl walking beside her. He helped them carry their things inside. Hazina and Aziza would be sharing the room Hazina abandoned when she left three years earlier. Hazina nodded when Aziza asked if she could take a nap. She followed her grandfather into the sitting area and accepted a cup of tea from him. He sat across from her and sipped his tea in silence. She remembered this game; he would not outright ask her questions about her life, because that would make him seem as if he was being nosey or emotional. No, he always waited for her to supply him with the information then he would comment with some logical conclusion.

Her cup made a soft noise as she placed it on the table. Her brown eyes stared into eyes that differed from hers in only color. She sat straight and motioned to the new table before them. "Grandfather, the table you have here is beautiful. While I do not recall which carpenter could have made something so beautiful, I do acknowledge the truth behind this. My friend Aziza has been my roommate for three years. She is an exceptional woman. I have excelled in all my curriculum and I have also been selected to go on an exploration of the beta quadrant that will occur for one hundred and thirty-four Terran days. I expect to complete my curriculum at the end of the first summer session."

The pride in his eyes made her heart swell. He placed his cup on the table. "I am pleased to see that you have done well in your endeavors, granddaughter. I have seen and heard many things about your conquests at the Starfleet Academy. Are you certain that your decision to go on the exploration is safe?"

She knew he was referencing the attack on the SS Charles; the destruction was still under investigation. As far as the ship record went, the only warning was that from the communications officer when he picked up a weak transmission from the enemy ship. No, the destruction of that starship had been quick and well planned. Video proved to be even more worthless; Klingon-like battleships were seen on the fuzzy surveillance. The survivors did not even recall receiving a hail from the ship before they attacked. The complete ordeal had been a mysterious tragedy that would probably be investigated for many decades to come. Besides, that happened in the Gamma quadrant.

"Being in space is dangerous, grandfather. Traveling here was just as dangerous as me being on a federation ship." She lifted her cup and sat back on the couch. The corner of her lip twitched as her grandfathered bowed his head in agreement.

They finished their tea in silence, enjoying the company of one another. Hazina found that her more focused in her grandfather's presence. She allowed herself to evaluate important issues that she had formerly pushed to the back of her mind. For one, Shi'Kahr's sudden urge to be with every male within reach seemed logical now. She and Solin had a bond that was stronger than that of a Vulcan marriage. Just as Kyleth dealt wit her emotions, Shi'Kahr was obviously forcing herself to deal with not only her own emotions and needs but their brother's as well. She blinked and thought that the idea was both logical and illogical. The only way to prove the theory correct or incorrect would be to ask her brother personal questions. She knew Solin; the last thing he wanted to talk about with his sister was his sexual and emotional conditions. Still, Hazina, being the scientist that she was, did not want to let the idea go. Her attention snapped to the door as soon as it opened.

Her brother stood behind the door staring at her. Although she could read the emotions in her grandfather's eyes, Hazina found that her younger brother's eyes were almost completely unreadable. She stood and walked over to him so that she could envelope him in a tight hug. He stiffened slightly but did not reciprocate the action. She fought the urge to roll her eyes as she returned to her seat. Pointedly ignoring him, she focused her attention on the dull white paint on the walls. Not only had he turned into a robot of sorts, he also had gotten taller. He was now four inches taller than her. She picked up both her and her grandfather's empty cups and took them into the kitchen. After depositing the cups into the sink, she went to her room. Her brother watched her with raised eyebrows.

Aziz lay on the bed snoring softly. Hazina wanted to kick her and wake her up, but she decided that would be rude and cause some kind of weirdness between them. Wait, wasn't it Aziza that woke her up with a mini horn the second day of classes? She poked the girl gently. Aziza swallowed and rolled over onto her side. Hazina smiled and lifted her foot.

"Don't you dare." Aziza sat up and glared at her friend. "If you want to go someplace, just tell me like a normal person. It's so humid outside. I'm going to shower and change." She ran into the bathroom before Hazina had time to protest.

She emerged ten minutes later with dressed in a white tank top and black shorts that were shorter than the regulation skirts. She put on her black gym shoes and clapped her hands. Hazina gave her a look before she went into the bathroom. She showered and made sure to wash her hair. Aziza complimented on the scent that followed her as she walked towards the door. Hazina was dresses in an elbow length cotton shirt and knee length khaki capris; she wore white gym shoes. Her hair was up in its usual tight bun. She nodded to Aziza once.

They were actually walking without a purpose until Aziza remarked that it would be nice to see the beach. Hazina obliged her. People gave them quick glances but did not allow their gaze to linger; it would have been considered rude. Hazina pulled her gym shoes off and walked in the sand with bare feet. She looked at several people standing in the distance. A couple looked at the two of them; probably wondering who would dare wear something as exposing as their attire. Hazina eased her shoes underneath her arm and stepped closer to Aziza. While she was stronger than a human, she was not as strong as a pure blooded Vulcan. Her brown eyes were glued to the two people that appeared to be approaching them.

Breathe. Breathe. She exhaled, and her face remained impassive as the pair walked past them. She remembered the two of them well. They were the brother and sister Kyleth had protected her from so many times. She stiffened when she heard their footsteps stop. Turning to them slowly, she maneuvered so that Aziza was behind her. Her brown eyes bore into their faces; they looked like they could have been twins. T'Lek lifted her hand and bowed. Kurom did the same.

"Greetings, T'Lek and Kurom." Her voice was lower than its usual pitch.

Aziza noticed this. Being trained in basic combat, Aziza also noticed the Hazina had taken a somewhat defensive stance by standing in front of her. Her hazel colored eyes darted between the three people before she looked at the ever expressionless face her friend wore. She was suddenly nervous and could not stop herself from scratching her arm and clearing her throat. She noticed that Hazina was, contrary to her original belief, taller than most of the Vulcan women.

"This is my companion, Ensign Aziza Umbha." Hazina moved slightly. Aziza nodded to them. They stared at one another in silence until Hazina turned and nudged Aziza forward with a prod of her knuckles.

"It has been said that you are as successful and intelligent as your father." T'Lek spoke.

Fighting the urge to continue on their path, Hazina turned to the pair of them with a raised eyebrow. "Has it?"

Kurom stepped forward. "It has also been said that your human paramour died in the attack on the Federation ship SS Charles."

Hazina moved her arm so that she pressed a hand against Aziza's front. "Aren't you too Vulcan to speak of such talks in public?" She lifted her head when the girl glared at her. Aha! T'Lek still had a problem with controlling her emotions. She resigned herself to not even replying to them.

"Yet you remark with such bitterness, human." Kurom blinked. His dark eyes moved to something behind them. His jaw clenched as he looked back to Hazina's face.

Hazina became aware of the fact that Kyleth was more near her than she had assumed. She turned to find him walking towards them dressed in black robes with a thick book underneath his arm. He stopped when he felt her watching him. Instead of looking her in the eyes, he looked at Kurom and T'Lek. He did not even acknowledge them as he moved in beside Aziza and took Hazina's wrist into his hand. Aziza stepped in behind the pair as they walked away. She looked at Kyleth from behind. So, this was the legendary man her best friend was in love with. Her eyes fell upon the smooth milky color of his skin. He was handsome.

They walked in silence until they reached a small café of sorts. Hazina noticed that Kyleth released her wrist as they went inside. He nodded to the man at the counter before making his way to the empty table at the back. After motioning for them to sit, he took his seat and placed his large book on the table. It was a book on Tellarite biology and genetics. He ordered three cups of hot tea and pretended to not notice that both of the women across from him were staring.

"It is pleasant to see you as well, Kyleth. This is my friend Aziza Umbha." Hazina motioned towards the dark girl sitting next to her. For some reason, Kyleth looked much younger than she remembered. Yes, he was tall and imposing, but his face was different.

"My parents heard of your arrival. They have gone to visit your grandfather." He sat straight and stared into her eyes. "They plan to discuss the severing of our bond. My mother is expecting another child."

"That is great news, Kyleth." It hit her suddenly that although his parents were trying to separate the two of them, they would probably think the new child could correct the shame he brought upon their family. She looked at the gray tablecloth on the table and inhaled deeply. "Why do you not apply to Starfleet? They will welcome you."

"My running from my fate would be more dishonorable to my family than what has been decided. Drink your tea before it cools."

Her eyes remained on his face as she sipped her drink. She ignored the fact that there were others in the room and simply reached out to touch his hand. Her hand retracted when uncertainty and fascination danced their way into her thoughts. Swallowing another gulp of tea, she looked at her friend. Aziza was busy looking at all the occupants of the establishment. Her index finger tapped her cup nervously. Hazina touched her arm; Aziza laughed, drawing the attention of several people. She ducked her head and tried to move closer to Hazina.

"This is awkward." She whispered the words, but Hazina wanted to tell her that the others could probably still hear her.

She knew Kyleth heard her friend because his eye slit up with amusement. He looked at the two of them. They were a strange pair. His eyes moved to the shiny bun at the top of Hazina's head. He fought the urge to reach out and remove the silver pin he saw holding it in place. "I am inviting you both to dinner. Bring your brother as well, Hazina."

The fact that Kyleth even bothered to mention her brother meant that he knew more about how her sibling felt than she did. She nodded and sipped her tea again. They remained silent after that. Aziza had, at some point, relaxed and allowed herself to slouch in her chair. She said something along the line of the heat being pleasant. Hazina nodded in agreement. They excused themselves.

Aziza whistled to herself as they walked back to Hazina's grandfather's house. "Who were those two assholes? Why is Kyleth so quiet? Is it like this all the time here? Can we go back to that beach? He didn't even notice that you were wearing his ring."

Hazina smiled slightly as she addressed each question. "Those are people I aged with. It is the nature of Vulcans to be silent when there is no conversation. Yes, we may return to the beach tomorrow. Also, Kyleth did notice me wearing the ring. His fingers brushed my hand when he let go of my wrist. Vulcans are subtle about emotions, Aziza."

"I'm glad I brought dresses with me." Aziza smiled and nodded. Hazina resigned herself to not even imagining which dresses her friend brought along.

As things would happen, Aziza did know more about Vulcan culture than Hazina thought. The girl was dressed in a lavender colored dress with elbow length sleeves and a high neckline. The dress reached her knees. The shoes she wore were black flats. She brushed her hair flat and stared at herself in the mirror as Hazina moved behind her zipping up her thin white dress and slipping into her white flats. Aziza was curious as to just how long Hazina's hair was as her friend reached up to touch the perfect bun on her head. She looked at Aziza staring as her as she rubbed a dab of soft wax on her lips. She pressed them together and turned to give herself a glance in the mirror.

"I have never seen you this nervous. Is there a certain way I have to act?" Aziza stood by the door with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Do not insult him by acting strangely, Aziza. Kyleth is a very accepting person." She nodded and turned to her friend. "Let us depart."

Solin stood beside the couch staring at something on the rub with his eyebrows drawn together. Hazina called out to him as they left through the door. They were having dinner at Kyleth's apartment. Although his parents had accused him of being illogical when he had moved out, he had insisted that he do it to gain independence. Independence was logical, was it not? His parents, one a scientist and the other an engineer, went against his will and paid for his dwelling. This left Kyleth, who spent his free time doing research and working with children that were mentally slower than their peers. The problem with mentally deficient Vulcans did not develop until after the destruction of the original planet. Many blamed the fact that Romulan women had been chosen to carry the fetuses of Vulcan children. Each woman bore two children within a five year time period. Although it had not been proven, some believed the women's DNA polluted the child's.

The apartment was perfectly white. She saw the wonderment on Aziza's face as she walked about touching things and staring at the different technologies sitting on the table. She sat down and picked up a glowing PADD from the table. Hazina sat beside her friend and looked over her shoulder to find that Aziza was reading an article from a Terran magazine on biomedical cloning. She gasped and moved to the next page with round eyes. Hazina sighed and sat back on the couch.

Kyleth emerged from a room in the back dressed in light gray robes. He bowed to them slightly and motioned for them to follow him into the kitchen. He stole a glance at Solin before he sat down at the table. The boy was completely silent as he sat at the other end of the table. What was the purpose of him being there if he was not going to engage the woman sitting next to him? Kyleth was again reminded of how much Hazina and her siblings amazed him. Solin was the most Vulcan of the three of them because his sister had the misfortune of bearing every emotion that passed between the two of them. Unlike him, Solin was not so skilled at removing emotions, so his sister was left with bearing the burdens. He remembered the first time Solin had come to him and paced his sitting area for fifteen minutes and twelve seconds before he even spoke.

Solin had said one thing. _"I think my human blood has made the chance of pon farr nonexistent for me, but I am still having urges."_

Kyleth did not offer him a response other than a cup of tea. What was he supposed to have said? At the time, Kyleth was nineteen and fortunate enough to not have experienced the dreaded ordeal himself. Still, the idea of a seventeen year old male having an overactive sexual drive did interest him, so he led the boy to the research center and ran every test he could on him. He found that there was only a slight increase in Solin's testosterone, but not nearly enough to point to pon farr. He dismissed the boy until he returned almost a year later with a slight fever.

His testosterone level had nearly doubled but still not enough for pon farr. In an attempt to control him, Kyleth contacted Shi'Kahr and asked her to take the emotions from her brother. When she had asked him what to do with the strong feelings of lust pulsing through her, Kyleth told her to meditate. Two months later, Hazina sent him an email telling him of how her sister had suddenly started being defiant and engaging different males in sexual activity. He could not tell her that her sister's actions were partially his fault. He took the problem to Ambassador Sarek, and they worked diligently with Solin until he had control; this happened a month ago.

Now, he was sitting at his kitchen table with a woman he found beautiful and fascinating. He had invited Aziza along out of courtesy. His reason for inviting Solin was outright illogical; he knew the boy was interested in the woman. He thought that this dinner would be an opportune time for him to get to know the woman, but he had been silent thus far. He gave the younger man a hard look before he picked up his glass and swallowed a huge gulp of his water.

"You cooked this?" Aziza stared at the different dishes on the table. There was, not to her surprise, not a single meat dish. Her eyes landed upon the soup in the middle.

"It tastes horrible." Solin cleared his throat and sat straight when her gaze fell upon him. He motioned towards the plomeek soup. "It tastes horrible unless you add something to it. It has an acquired taste."

"One neither of us could acquire." Hazina said gently. She was rewarded with a smile from Aziza and a nod from Solin. "You know, brother, you are more human than Vulcan. Even I have allowed myself to show emotion. It will not destroy anything."

"You live on Earth, ko-kai. You also look more human than I do. It is acceptable for you to do these things, but if I do them, I will follow in Kyleth's steps." Solin closed his eyes as the last words left this mouth.

Hazina looked at Kyleth and tapped her fork one time with her index finger. How could her pretend Vulcan brother say something like that? She looked at him and allowed the anger to surface on her face. Her hands clutched a handful of the tablecloth. "You have insulted every person at this table, Solin. You have succeeded in becoming a true Vulcan. Aziza and I will leave now. I am sorry for my brother's insufferable ignorance, Kyleth. Perhaps next time we will meet without his presence." Hazina stood.

Aziza followed her to the door. She scratched her head, "I think your brother's interesting. I wasn't insulted."

Hazina opened the door. "Whatever interest you have in Solin should be removed as soon as possible."

Hazina changed into her pajamas and sat on her bed. She realized that the anger she felt for her brother had deteriorated before they even made it home. She lay flat staring at the ceiling with narrowed eyes. Kyleth had obviously wanted her to stay, but her brother had no right! She bit back her tears. Aziza was dressed in a tshirt and short pants as she climbed into the bed next to Hazina. She pulled her friend into a hug and rested her head on top of hers.

"Tell me what's going on with Kyleth." Aziza looked into her eyes.

"He thinks the Vulcan elders want him killed. He has been accused of being emotional. Remember the man with the woman that talked to me earlier? He is the captain in our tactical division. I think his assumption is both logical and illogical. Logical because Kurom has no other skills outside battle and illogical because we are Vulcan. We do not condone violence."

"That's insane. These people are crazy. But emotions are normal. This is so bad. I almost regret coming here." Aziza pressed her face into Hazina's pomegranate scented hair. "Your brother was sorry, you know. I could see it on his face."

Hazina sighed and turned away from her friend. She knew Solin was regretful for his words, but she would not allow him the pleasure of knowing he had been forgiven until he verbally apologized. She turned to Aziza with raised eyebrows when she poked her in the back.

"So, who is that gift for? The one you tucked into the top of your closet?" Aziza chuckled.

Hazina sighed. "Kyleth's birthday is in two weeks."

"I thought Vulcans don't celebrate birthdays." Aziza frowned.

"They don't." Hazina smiled when her friend made a loud noise, and they fell over in a fit of giggles. Her head rested on Aziza's heaving chest so that she could listen to her racing. Her friend laughed again.

"I grew up alone with my aunt after my grandmother died. I was a lonely kid when I was in elementary school. Secondary school changed all of that. I was a cheerleader. I even dated the captain of the track team. His name is Cyrus. He's the guy I lost my virginity to, but he went to London to study dance. I haven't heard from him in over two years. It was after the third time I slept with Cyrus that I realized sex was pointless. I told him I love him, but he never said it back. I felt empty, but I stayed with him. We graduated and parted ways." She ran her long brown fingers through her hair and cast Hazina a large smile.

"What you told me that night when I suggested you sleep with Kanshero…you reminded me of myself when I was in high school. I don't understand why it's so hard for me to find an identity. Am I the little girl whose parents were killed in front of her? That was civil war. There are always casualties. I forgave those soldiers. Am I the princess my grandmother convinced me that I was? Or am I the defiant and annoyingly aggressive intellect my aunt wants me to be?" Her hazel eyes had water on their surface. She reached up and brushed her fingers across Hazina's cheek.

"You are my friend." Hazina could feel the tense emotions flowing through Aziza's body. Her fingertips brushed her friend's face, and she allowed her emotion pour into her friend's frame. Their eyes locked until she felt Aziza relax against her. When her soft snores rose into the air, Hazina breathed a sigh of relief. She stared at the door for a long time. If Aziza was older than her and did not know who she was, how could Hazina be so sure of the person she thought she was? No, logic told her that her summation of self worth was correct. It was illogical to doubt herself.


	24. Yours to Hold

_**Don't own anything related to Star Trek. Umm there's some M rated stuff near the end. **_

_Sway. Sway. _ The brown weeds twirled in the breeze for six seconds before the coolness died. Aziza sat beside her with her chin resting on her knees as she stared out into the vast desert of redness. She ran her dark fingers through her black hair and sighed as she turned to look at her friend. Hazina had, in much respect, decided to braid her hair up and wear a wide sun hat. Her brother walked in the distance studying different plants and the occasional insect that popped up. Beside him was a somewhat reserved Kyleth with that large book under his arm. He motioned to something on a boulder that neither of the women sitting behind them could see. Solin leaned forward and stared at it until a large black shape appeared. Aha! Hazina stood and ran over to them with a wide grin. Aziza appeared behind her suddenly. She would recognize that insect anywhere. It was one of the rarest kinds on their planet. Its physiology was unknown. The only proof of its existence was the sighting by five different Vulcans over the last fifteen years. Her brown eyes widened as she looked over Solin's shoulder. Kyleth walked towards the black insect with his hand extended. Slower than the breath she took in, his hand extended while he grasped a jar with a holographic lid. She swallowed. Just as the jar closed in on the insect, Aziza spoke.

"Wouldn't it be easier to use a net?" When she turned slightly, she bumped into Kyleth and sent him falling forward.

The glass shattered underneath his weight as he leaned against the boulder for support. He quickly covered the insect with the glass in his left hand. Solin took the glass from him and stared at his bleeding hand. Kyleth visibly sighed as he stared at the small pieces of glass in his palm. He walked towards the small area where their bags were. Glass removal was not a problem. Hazina watched in wonderment as he gently and efficiently removed each piece of glass with the tweezers-like instrument he held in his left hand.

"Are all of you guys ambidextrous?" Aziza stared in awe. "I'm sorry, Kyleth. I got really excited and nervous. I'm sure you've noticed that since I got here."

He lifted a canister of antiseptic and sprayed his hand. His dark eyes darted up to Aziza's when Hazina took his hand and began to wrap it in white gauze. "On the contrary, Aziza, your presence here has been pleasurable and interesting. You are the second Earth woman I have met. Surely you must understand your importance."

Hazina stiffened, but continued to cover Kyleth's hand until the thickness of the gauze was sufficient enough. So, he was willing to admit Aziza was important to him, but he could not even tell her thanks for the gift she had given him for his birthday! She inhaled deeply and stepped away from him. Wait, was she jealous? Fearing embarrassment, she turned away and walked towards Solin. He acknowledged her before looking at the insect again. It crawled around the inside of the jar as if it was just another surface. Hazina stood silently.

"He isn't interested in her, ko-kai. I was, but my life is not as exciting as it was during the past year." He motioned for her to sit beside him. His gaze darted towards Aziza and Kyleth talking in the distance. He began to sketch a perfect picture of the insect's underbelly and back. "He is very confused. Our father is Half Vulcan and bonded to a full human. He is a full Vulcan and bonded to…you. The positive side of this bonding has led to him being able to not experience you know. The seven year itch. He's almost as normal as I am. Except I'm not normal. I wasn't anyway." He placed the jar down and leaned forward.

"Explain." Hazina took the pen and drew the markings on the insect's back perfectly.

"A year ago I started having these random bursts of testosterone. I thought it was pon farr, but no. I mean, we are mostly human. Anyway, I talked to Kyleth about it. He convinced Shi'Kahr to undertake these sexual urges. It was logical to all three of us. I needed to be more focused because I, a mere quarter Vulcan, was attending the Vulcan Science Academy. She agreed. Kyleth tried to teach her more about meditation, but I felt bad when she started acting on these urges. I told Kyleth this. He said I was being illogical. He contacted Shi'Kahr…"

"And?" Hazina could not hide the emotion rising in her voice.

"She tried very much to get a reaction from him. He said that she alone could not deal with such a task of carrying myburden. So, he also agreed to help me. I talked to mother about this. Kyleth talked to grandfather Sarek about this. He taught me how to better meditate. Kyleth is a pleasant person. I cannot understand his attachment to you!"

"Because it is not your attachment to understand." Kyleth looked at both of them.

While he had, on more occasions than he cared to admit, enjoyed the company of Solin, he found that the boy had some deep rooted form of self hatred. Why would the son of two of the most renowned Starfleet officers feel such a way? Did he not understand the support the people around him provided? Kyleth took a step towards Solin. One twin was born with all the emotion; the other was born with only self loathing. Perhaps he was angry because no one else hated him. It had taken him several days to apologize to Hazina after he had insulted her. Kyleth looked at the beautiful woman kneeling beside her brother. He knew her mind. He looked at Solin; he knew his mind as well. Sibling should not be so different that they could have been born into two completely different families.

He wanted to hold Hazina. His index finger twitched as he imagined cupping her face and pressing their lips together. Why could their life not be simple enough that he could have the small things in life? He did not care about the fact that he was the first in his class. He did not care about possibility that he would be killed once he completed his assignment on Tellar Prime. All he cared about was the woman staring at him. Her brown eyes made his heart rate increase by 3.46%. He blinked and looked at the red dirt underneath their feet. If Vulcans were so vile and apathetic, then why did they worry for the continued peace of its people? He thought of the human women that volunteered to be surrogate mothers for their babies. None of the children they carried had been born with genetic defects. Perhaps it was just a thing of pride that kept Vulcans from accepting their weaker counterparts. He inhaled and looked at Hazina again. Her image would be imprinted in his mind forever.

"I apologize for my leaving, but I must return to my office."

"May I visit you? Later." Hazina stood with the jar held loosely in her hands.

"If it is your wish, yes." He bowed slightly and walked away.

"You two are weird. Hey! Why don't you tell your grandfather about Kyleth?" Aziza looked at her friend questioningly.

"Grandfather is on the high council." She said before she turned and kneeled beside her brother again.

"I don't understand you guys. He seems like a really nice fellow. He obviously cares for you." She sighed. "I wish someone would care about me like that."

Solin stood. "Bring the jar, Hazina." He stared at the pad in his hand as he walked towards his bags. He put his notepad away and picked up his things.

Something had her little brother annoyed. She cast her friend a sideways glance as they continued towards the nearest port. Visiting the caves was one of her favorite pastimes when she was younger. Her eyes darted to the insect in the jar. It was safer to catch it in a jar in case it could get out of the net. She held the jar securely against her as they boarded the shuttle. Solin ignored the glances from the other passengers as they walked to the back. Hazina wanted to smash the jar over the head of a particular woman she caught staring. Instead, she forced herself to smile and made the woman uncomfortable enough that she moved to another seat. Aziza snickered.

Of course her grandfather was away. That left her with time she had no use for. So, she sat on the couch and stared at the flashing holographic screen. There was only the latest headlines and research flashing. She clicked on something about whale cloning on Tellar Prime. Perhaps it would be interesting to see something related to the place Kyleth would be living for the next few months or years of his life. His life without her. She moved to the couch and, although her grandfather called the action illogical, stretched out with her feet on the armrest. The words on the screen maximized and moved at the speed she programmed in with the remote. Tellar Prime appeared to be one of the dullest planets in existence.

Hazina went into her bathroom and brushed her hair flat. Staring at her naked body, she lifted a knee length white tunic over her head and flattened it down her body. Her hair remained tucked inside the cloth as she flattened her hair again. She moved from the bathroom cautiously and pulled on her boots after she rubbed moisturizer into her legs. The white boots reached her calves. After rubbing a small amount of wax on her lip, she grabbed her jacket and eased from her room. Her grandfather was not expected home for another few hours. What she was trying to do is avoid being seen by her friend. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Aziza sitting across from Solin at the table in the "den" watching him work. Aziza placed her hands flat on the table and said something to him. Their eyes locked; Hazina used that moment to escape.

Since she visited him every night, he'd programmed his door to give her automatic access. She walked into the apartment and stood in his doorway watching him at his laptop. It was the same every night. She would show up and watch him work until he stopped; they talked and drank tea; she left. No touching was done, and hardly any eye contact was made. They discussed subjects related to his work. Not that night. No, Hazina had resolved herself into getting at least one kiss from him. She pressed her shoulder against the metal of the doorframe. Her footsteps were silent as she moved towards him.

His eyes darted upward the moment she bumped the desk. Okay, so she wasn't as suave as she should have been, but she did feel like her mission was partially accomplished. He stood and tapped the mouse on his keypad three times without looking away from her. Moving around the desk, he broke their gaze and went directly into the kitchen. Hazina found that almost all Vulcans preferred routine; she was also guilty of that personality trait, but her human side always had a way of disrupting her routines. Her fingernails dug into her palms as she watched him move fluidly about the kitchen. He walked towards her with his eyes trained on something above her head. His finger brushed hers as he handed her the steaming cup of tea.

They sat in silence trying to avoid the inevitable conversation lurking in the back of both of their minds. Hazina tried to push her thoughts into a coherent train of information, but she found it annoying that she could focus on only one fact: she would miss him. Her hand trembled slightly as she placed her cup on the table and sat back to look at him. He stared at her abandoned cup of tea.

"Look at me, Kyleth." She sighed when he glanced at her but turned his attention back to the cup on the table.

If he wasn't an oblivious Vulcan male! She rolled her eyes and stood. He stood and quickly covered the panic that appeared on his face. Hazina held back a smile as she walked towards the door. That wasn't the first time she failed in something, and it would be illogical to consider it the last. Her hand rested against the cool metal of the door before she turned to him. A gasp escaped her when she found that he stood less than two feet away. She had expected him to still be on the other side of the room. Why was he suddenly making things hard for her? She crossed her arms over her chest and walked past him to rest her back against the wall. Her hands fell to her side as she stared at him.

"This is going to be my last day seeing you in person for a long time." She gently pulled her hair from within her tunic. Why was she completely naked underneath that annoying dress? Her brown eyes matched his gaze. Her hands trembled as she gripped the hem of the tunic. Oh. She knew why. Was she a coward for suddenly being afraid? Her heart rate had increased by 12.56%. Her eyelids fluttered closed as she lifted the cloth.

Hot hands fell upon hers and removed her hands from the cloth. His gaze was filled with more heat than the sun that had burned her that day in Africa. She swallowed and inhaled deeply. His lips parted slightly as he extended his hand. She closed her eyes and waited to feel his palm against her face. Her hair. His fingers moved through the locks gently. He followed the entire length of it until it rested at her waist. His fingers brushed the back of her neck before moving into her hair and gently massaging her scalp. Her lips opened, and he covered them with his own. She wrapped her arms around his neck and waited patiently for him to move, but he simply kissed her. His hand left her hair. They rested on her hips before slowly moving up the front of her body. She stopped kissing him and gasped. His hands stopped on her right below her breast. He pressed a soft kiss into her neck and rested his face against her flat stomach as he kneeled before her.

Her breathing caught in her throat as his hands lowly moved over the curve in her calves to the bend behind her knee. His breath was hot against her thigh as his hands edged higher. His eyes closed as his hands continued up underneath her dress. She inhaled sharply as his fingers danced across her stomach. The wall felt cold when she pressed her self against it. His hands stopped below her breasts. Her leg moved and caused her thigh to rise slightly. His lips brushed her thigh. She whimpered when his tongue moved up the soft skin. She pressed her lips together tightly when his teeth sank into the tender flesh. Her boy trembled when he flicked his tongue over the red, swollen skin. His hands began to move lower as his tongue traced down her thigh again. His teeth sank into her flesh again. She moaned and bent towards him. Her lips captured his. He placed gentle kisses along her neck as he stood. She stepped towards him as he dropped her tunic to the floor. She blinked at him. When had he removed that? He pressed her against the wall and nipped at her neck. His tongue brushed each of her nipples until they stood erect. She buried her fingers in his hair as his hands and fingers took over where tongue had been.

She was embarrassed, but that was nothing compared to the heat rising in her body. His face was so close to her lower body that she couldn't help but blush. Her fingers were tangled in his hair as he pressed his face into the sensitive region. She giggled slightly when his tongue brushed her lower lips. "Oh." Her body tensed as his tongue pushed further. Her knees were suddenly weak. He lifted her thighs so that most of her weight was on his shoulder. His fingernails dug into her thighs as he went back to task.

Hazina felt her body reaching for something she could not identify. She closed her eyes and moaned loudly as the fire in her blood exploded. Her hips tried desperately to move closer to Kyleth's face. He kissed her on the thigh again and slowly stood straight. His dark eyes burned with lust as he gazed at her. She stood on her tiptoes and covered his mouth with her own. He tasted different; it was more salty and tangy. His hand rested at the back of her head as he deepened the kiss. When he pulled away, Hazina attempted to catch her breath.

Kyleth turned away from her. He picked up her tunic and handed it to her. "I apologize if my…actions have led to you being bruised."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Lie in the bed with me."

He looked into her eyes and whispered, "I cannot."

Her lips brushed his before she pressed her face into his neck. "Please, Kyleth. Who knows when I will see you again? Let me have a real memory of you holding me." She pulled her dress on.

Without saying another word to him, she moved towards the closed door she knew hid his bedroom. The only other door led to his bathroom. She crawled onto the bed and turned to find him staring at her with a strained expression. Her shoes fell to the floor silently before she scooted up to rest her back against the headboard. He sat on the bed next to her. Fighting the urge to roll her eyes [she seriously needed a break from Aziza's company], she slowly leaned into him until her head rested on his shoulder. She released a sigh of relief when his fingers moved through her hair.

"Have you dreamed of doing that to me?" She looked up into his dark eyes.

His skin appeared to blanch as he averted his eyes. "I have dreamed many things, Hazina."

In other words, yes, he probably had. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. While she had never dreamed of such things, she found that she, on several occasions, dreamed of apocalyptic meeting with her parents where she broke down and cried or even began a strange plot to kill her own sister. She laughed but cut it short when Kyleth tensed underneath her.

"I was remembering some of my dreams. You know, Kyleth, I want to see you again. I want us…" Her fingers brushed his cheek while her gaze moved over his face.

Her three fingers remained in position for their minds meld. A sigh escaped her as his thoughts became her own. She felt his lips move over her mouth again. He kissed her passionately and rested his hand on her shoulder. He gripped her shoulder gently as he allowed himself to be lost in the dark shade of green creeping into both their minds. It was lust. He continued to kiss her, but focused himself so that he would not be ruled by an emotion that had no right to even be called an emotion. It was a reaction.

How could he not react to her lying to close to him? The memory of how she had tasted returned to his mind. He knew that she found the reaction he had to her body fascinating, but he would do nothing more than share his reaction. He could not allow his body to act upon lust. He could not allow her to act upon lust. He pulled his lips away from hers and ran his fingers through her hair again as he slowly moved that annoying green to the back of his mind; he took hers and compressed it with his. His eyes were closed as he concentrated on doing this. He was suddenly afraid and intrigued by the yellow clouding both their minds. Hers was darker and thicker by merely a fraction. This emotion was not new to him, but he did not know what it was. The first time he had seen a shred of this yellow had been in his ninth year of life.

_He, Hazina, and another boy named Tivork were working in a group in order to explore the dunes on the northeastern planes. He found the assignment illogical when the elders stressed self dependency so much. Still, they were to map out the area and survive alone; it was a variant of the kahs-wan rituals but with results that were not as important. Tivork broke his ankle, and Hazina took it upon herself to take care of him. He was reminded of his fleeting moment of jealousy before pride that she belonged to him covered it all. Even at the age of nine she had been knowledgeable of botany. She had her own garden on her grandfather's land. When Tivork's broken ankle began to change color, she volunteered to carry him back and let Kyleth remain to finish the assignment, but he had refused. She had become angry and shoved Tivork into his arms and told him to hurry._

_He saw her two days later with their notes and papers in hands as she walked towards the waiting instructors. She was the first person to emerge; the assignment had also been completed flawlessly. Without looking his way, she walked past him and nodded to her grandfather when he placed his hand on her shoulder. He felt her emotions strong at that moment; she was filled with gratitude for him. He had been filled with a pale orange color that was shaded by an even paler yellow._

"Then?" Hazina laughed. She moved her face against his chest. "It was different for me. I knew how my father grew up. My life was hardly any better except that both my parents tried to be there for me. I am sure Grandfather was there for my father in his own way, but I thought that it would be more logical if I did not allow myself to feel emotions. I thought that you were accepting of me because you felt obligated. You always gave a logical explanation when you protected me or my siblings. Did you notice that all I allowed myself to feel was anger? That is, until I met Aziza. I was standing in the bathroom when I realized that I love you." She looked at him again with a smile. "That brilliant yellow that could contest the light of the sun is the emotion love, Kyleth."

He blinked. His lips brushed hers again. His voice was a whisper as he responded. "That is appropriate."

_**A/N: I edited the naughty bit quite a few times. Why did that happen between Hazina and Kyleth? It's a secret! Not really. They had to do it. **_


	25. Under my Skin

_**Don't own anything related to Star Trek. All these chapters have been named after songs! I don't own them either. **_

Aziza was excited. Hazina knew this because the woman was nearly bouncing on her feet as they sat in their respected seats waiting for the shuttle craft that would take them to the USS Ivan. Her dark brown eyes followed her friend's crazed pacing until she sat down and covered her face with a small squeal. Aziza had barely been able to control her joy when Admiral Stapp presented them with her assignments. Being the head of the academy's administration, she had been brief and blunt.

They were both entering the ship with the titles as ensign. Aziza would serve as a kind of junior engineer beside Lieutenant Commander Davies. He was actually one of the people that offered recommendations for both females. Hazina would work interchangeably in the planetary geosciences division. Aziza would have asked what that meant, but she recalled that fact that her friend's majors were focused in that exact area at school. Hazina was relieved to know that she would be working in the botany sector beside Captain D'Liva, who had taken the job because his ship was still being repaired, and he wanted to get away from the students. She would also be working beside Lieutenant-Commander Irkov in the science station. She was excited, but she did not allow herself to show it.

She went back to watching Aziza when she jumped up for a third time and began to pace. What if something went wrong? Hazina blinked and looked at the waxed floor. The idea of something going wrong sparked the last memory she shared with Kyleth. He had been waiting with her grandfather and brother the morning after he'd discovered his love for her. He had wanted to laugh at the fact that her hair was back in the ball at the top of her head. He hugged her when she embraced him.

Her eyes darted to a figure approaching the door. A man walked ahead of a small crew of five as they approached their group. Hazina had been waiting nearly three weeks fro this moment. She and David had gone back to corresponding when they realized their mutual interest and involvement on being assigned to the USS Ivan. He ran his hands over his nearly naked scalp as his blue eyes moved over the crowd. His lips stretched into a smile when he saw her. He laughed and pulled her into a hasty hug that caused her to stumble slightly. He clapped and introduced her to each of the people standing with him.

The bald girl of Arabic descent was Ensign Maj Uhbul of engineering; the boy with the ear length black hair and light brown eyes was Lieutenant Walter Dawns, also of engineering; the dark brown girls that looked like they could have been twins, but weren't were Lieutenants Elizabeth and Kayla White worked in tactical; the last person was the Andorian, Ensign Tahl who worked in the science division; she had vividly blue skin and curly shoulder length white hair and light gray eyes. They each bowed as they were introduced. Hazina, likewise, introduced Aziza.

"This is going to be great. I'm amazed that this is your first mission, Hazina! I would brag about how much you're going to love it out there, but unlike the rest of us, you were born on a ship and almost raised there." David said something to Elizabeth in French.

The dark girl smiled and looked at Hazina. "I have heard of you. My younger sister and I are nieces to your defense coach. It is a pleasure to meet you." She extended her hand.

"Umm…no. Never try and shake hands with a Vulcan, Lizzy." He looked over Hazina's shoulder and eased past her.

"You look human." Her brown eyes searched Hazina's face with much scrutiny until she noticed the pointed ears. "Je vois. C'est dans les Oreilles!" She motioned to Hazina's ears, and the others joined in on her laughter.

"Yes. My Vulcan heritage is all in my ears." Hazina blinked and turned away from them.

Aziza, being versed in French because it was the only other language she knew beside English and Swahili, felt somewhat insulted by what the girl said but did not say anything. She followed Hazina back to their seats and was annoyed when Hazina's friend's friends sat down next to them. Hazina could tell that Aziza was no longer nervous but annoyed. When Captain D'Liva ushered them forward to board the shuttle that would take them to the starship, Aziza instinctively wrapped her hand around Hazina's.

She felt the fear run through her just as thickly as the copper in her blood. Her body stilled as she stared straight ahead. Aziza gasped and dropped her hand quickly. She long at the commanding officers before moving through the crowd to where Captain D'Liva stood smiling as the others boarded the shuttle. His eyes met her the moment she got close enough to her. He followed her without hesitation. Hazina still stood rooted in place staring out the window as if it were the most interesting thing she had ever seen. Aziza crossed her arms over her chest and tried to calm the horror in her heart. What had she done?

Hazina was content. She was eight years old and walking towards the cave with Kurom and T'Lek in tow. Although she had asked her instructor to reassign her, she had been denied and accused of making an illogical request that bordered the line of being emotional. Her long black hair flew out around her as they got closer to the caves. T'Lek made the remark that their skin would feel better if they went for a swim before entering the dampness. Hazina followed the two of them silently and watched as they played in the water. When T'Lek attempted to coax her in, she ignored her and looked around to find the beach deserted. Something hard shoved her from behind. T'Lek grabbed her by her hair and shoved her head underneath the water. She was going to drown. She screamed and was rewarded two seconds of air before her head was shoved under again. She kicked and scratched with all her might, but her lungs were filling with water. Her heart thundered in her chest. Her head felt so light. Why was she drinking the water?! She tried to force herself to stop, but her lungs refused. She lurched forward and threw up on the floor.

Her entire body trembled as she emptied her stomach on the shiny white floor underneath her. No one was there to see her do this but Aziza, Captain D'Liva, Commander Irkov, and Lieutenant Commander Davies. Aziza reached for her, but Hazina's hand lifted quickly. She wiped her mouth with the sleeve of the dress she wore. She looked at Aziza with round eyes. "Please stay away."

Captain D'Liva saw the hurt in Aziza's eyes. "Go ahead, Ensign, I will escort her aboard."

"Is that wise?" Commander Irkov frowned.

"It is imperative. Hazina is suffering from mild telepathic shock. She will be fine by the time we leave the atmosphere." He smiled and made sure to touch covered skin as he helped her up and walked beside her down the path and onto the waiting shuttle. He stayed beside her the entire time and even assisted her in getting her things to the room she would be sharing with Aziza. He placed her things on the lower bunk and crossed his arms on his chest. His gaze moved from the slightly paled Hazina to the brooding Aziza.

He sighed. "I am going to remind people on this ship to not initiate direst skin contact with you. I know you had her hand, but we need to be safe. I know how badly you wanted to be here, Hazina. Your shift with me starts tomorrow at 0700 hours. You have a large amount of time to compose yourself. I'm also going to suggest wearing the long sleeved dresses. You'll be more comfortable. Well, young ladies, I bid you goodbye." He smiled at them before exiting.

"I am sorry, Hazina. I got really…I panicked." Aziza sighed and sat down at the tiny desk in the corner of the room. She covered her face with her hands. "What the hell was I thinking?"

"That you had a normal human friend that could offer you comfort through physical contact. While I am mostly human, I would never, in any event, be typical. You should get some rest. You shift starts in six hours." Hazina lay flat on her back staring at the bottom of the bunk. She remained silent as Aziza climbed into the bed.

That had not gone as smoothly as she had planned. She swallowed and closed her eyes. There was Aziza's fear tucked neatly into the corner of her mind waiting to spring again. Where was Kyleth when she needed him? On Tellar Prime of course. Her hands rested flat on her chest as she breathed in deeply and mentally began to count. One. One-two. Two. One-two. One. One-two. Two. She felt her body relaxing as she focused on the contentment the chant offered her confusing thoughts. She was almost completely inside herself when she felt her mate's presence. She did not address him directly. Instead, she stood on the white bridge that appeared underneath her. She swallowed and felt the terror, for that was the proper word for it, seeping away from her consciousness. Where would be if Kyleth was not so wonderful in helping her control her emotions? Where had he been when she had nearly collapsed earlier?

He responded to her with a memory. She (well he, but she was seeing through his eyes) was walking down a pristine white hall with his hands at his side and a yellow PADD clasped in his right hand. Her perfect gait was thrown off slightly when thought jarring fear passed through him. Her grip on the PADD in her hand tightened until she thought her fingers would break or the PADD would crush underneath the pressure. The Tellarite man standing beside her directed her to the bathroom where he promptly began to chant.

She felt horrible for being so selfish. She sat on the bridge with her knees drawn up underneath her chin tightly. Was she not fortunate enough to have a male that supported her more than required? Who was she to question anything he did? What she needed to do was learn to deal with her own emotions. When did she start depending on him so often?

Another memory flew towards her subconscious self. This was actually a memory from her own mind that Kyleth wanted her to see. She was fifteen and watching the four year old group dance to Vulcan music. It was impossible for her to hide the smile on her face, but she felt that her face had relaxed into a stoic expression as many people turned to look at her. When the little girl she spent time offered her a smile, she simply nodded to the child. The girl gave her a strange look before going to her mother. How had she been able to preserve her public façade so easily? She hadn't known then, but the black eyes watching her across the room belonged to the being that was the cause. She had simply inclined her head when she'd seen him.

The fact that their bond was so strong and she had not noticed it was something that annoyed Hazina greatly. She pulled away from Kyleth gently; he should get back to work before his superiors found that as an excuse to argue. She could almost feel his amusement as his consciousness left her. Her body was in its normal relaxed state as she turned to the wall. She would sleep for a few hours then change into something before going to the gym.

The gym was on the second floor and nearly completely filled. She wore a long sleeved black Starfleet issued shirt with matching black shorts. Each time her fingers brushed her thigh, she was reminded of how bruised her skin had been the day she and Aziza left Vulcan. Aziza had seen the bruises but did not inquire about them. Hazina did wake her friend before she left the room. She hoped she got to her post before the thirty minutes she had were up. Hazina looked at the expensive equipment with raised eyebrows. Weights! She walked over to the machine and scanned it before leaning forward and typing in sixty for the weight limit. She sat on the leather bench and slid underneath the bars before pulling them down too easily.

A man with a bald head walked over to her with a large smile. "Do you know how to set it, little lady? Thirty looks like it would work better than what you have…" His eyes bulged slightly when he saw the number on the machine.

Hazina cleared her throat and pressed the reset button on the machine she increased the weight by forty-five pounds before lying on the bench again. She pulled at the bars and rolled her eyes when lowered easily again. Her brown eyes moved to the man watching her with round eyes. "May I help you?" She pressed her lips together and attempted to calculate an appropriate number. If she could hold Shi'Kahr without struggle, surely the number she needed would be over one hundred and twenty pounds. She pressed in one fifty and got on the bench again. The bar lowered a little slower this time. She jumped up and moved to adjust the number again. She visibly flinched and pulled away quickly when the man extended his hand.

"I was just going to adjust it for you." He frowned at her. When he saw her ears he nodded. "You're the girl Captain told us about. If you're Vulcan, you probably want a lot more than that."

"My genetic make up is only twenty-five percent Vulcan." She pressed in an even two hundred before sliding onto the bench again. She pulled at the bar. Her fingers released it, but the man standing beside her adjusted the numbers before she could stand.

"I'm Yeoman Grimes." He stepped back several feet and watched in amazement as she moved the bars with ease. He motioned a man over to them and motioned to the machine with a dart of his eyes. The man's mouth fell open as he stared at Hazina.

The color had returned to her light brown skin, and the sweat building on that skin made her appear to glow underneath the artificial lights. She released the bar and sat up. The back of her sleeve brushed her forehead before she picked up her bottle of water and finished its contents. She stood and looked around the gym, ignoring the four men standing behind her. She walked onto the machine that allowed its user to walk and run. The archaic name for it had been a Treadmill. She had no idea what they called it in their time. After pressing in the speed she thought would be efficient, she pressed the start button. Her body reacted immediately to the change underneath it. Her legs bent quickly so that she broke into a jog.

"Aren't you hot in that shirt?" The man with the short brown hair smiled at her.

"I have to wear this to avoid contact with unaware humans." She continued to stare straight ahead and count the amount of times her feet hit the pulley underneath her.

"You would be more comfortable."

"On the contrary. This room is annoyingly cold. I will wear sweats with my shirt from now on." She continued to run but looked down to increase the speed by ten percent. Her eyes closed and she concentrated on controlling her breathing and her heart rate.

The machine stopped on its own after ten minutes. Breaks were required when performing on it. She flattened her curling hair and moved towards the door. Could she really count thirty-five minutes as a workout? It was the longest she had ever been in a gym alone. She stopped by the door and thought for a moment. It was actually the first time she had ever gone in a gym alone! A tap on her shoulder drew her attention to a man her height wearing cotton knee length pants and the issued Starfleet t-shirt. He was almost completely covered in sweat.

"You and me in the mess hall." He smiled at her.

"I do not understand." She looked at the two men standing behind him. They laughed.

"I'm inviting you to dinner in the mess hall." His smile did not waver. His eyes darted to the ring on her finger when she moved to touch her hair.

She was hungry. It would be logical for her to join him in the mess hall if they were both going that way. She nodded once. "I will be there in sixteen minutes."

Returning to her room, she put her clothes in the hamper the cleaning compactor before going into the bathroom and taking a long shower. She washed her hair and decided to let it dry as she dressed in the blue uniform dress that was required of her. Technically, she wasn't scheduled to be on duty for another six hours. It would be more appropriate if she wore a uniform whenever she was not in the gym. She pulled on her boots and held her card in her hand. Walking at an even pace, she arrived at the mess hall two minutes earlier than she estimated. After purchasing a vegetarian wrap, a salad, and a bottle of water, she sat at the table alone. She did not recognize one person in the room.

An orange tray dropped on the table in front of hers. She looked up from her salad to find David smiling her. He eased into the seat across from her and frowned at the man walking over to them. "You know him?"

Placing her fork on the table, she looked up to see the man from earlier approaching. "No, but he said he would be coming here. I thought it would be logical to meet him."

David smiled. "He was trying to ask you for a date."

"I do not date." Hazina looked at the man sitting a seat away from David. Did they have some sort of rivalry going on? She looked at Kirk's son. "Do you and Yeoman Grimes have a history?"

"Nah. I just thought he was trying to make a move on you." He laughed before biting into his pizza.

Hazina's eyebrows rose. "I have a bondmate." She turned her attention back to the food on her plate.

David swallowed the food in his mouth and sighed when Yeoman Grimes moved to another table. "Well said, daughter of Spock." He winked at Kayla White and motioned for her to come over. She rolled her eyes and walked over to him carrying a sandwich wrapped in silver paper. A smile stretched her lips as she nodded to Hazina and opened her food. David nudged her in the side.

"David, no touching in public." She nearly choked on her ham and cheese sandwich when he gave her a kiss on the cheek as he stood. She rolled her eyes at him and laughed. She looked at Hazina with a wide smile. "Do you know the Vulcan on the Enterprise? I have met Ambassador Sarek and a Vulcan male that recently landed on Tellar Prime as our crew was leaving. We stopped for fuel."

"I know all the people you speak of." Hazina forced a smile.

"Commander Spock is your father. Ambassador Sarek is your grandfather. The Vulcan on Tellar Prime?" Her accent made her Federation sound horrible.

"He is my…husband, in a way." She nodded.

"You are so young to be married." Her eyes darted to the ring on Hazina's finger. "It is magnificent. Who knew Vulcan men could give women something so romantic and beautiful. Valeria! Wait for me. It was pleasant to meet you, Hazina."

Hazina stared after the woman before looking down at her food. She really wasn't in the mood to eat anymore.


	26. Will You be there

She adopted the idea that she was the only person on the ship that was unbearably cold. Thus, she resigned herself to wearing long sleeved blue tunics and black pants. Of course it would have been better if she stuck to regulation, but after a conference with the captain and her superior, they agreed that her attire would be acceptable as long as she adhered to the correct color. Both the stations she worked in were in the science division, so all she had was blue uniforms. Her black slacks were always tucked inside her boots. People gave her strange stares when she first began wearing the different uniform, but after almost a month, they had gotten used to it.

Sometimes, she could even manage to talk Aziza into going to the gym with her when they were off at the same time. Aziza, of course, spent most of her time watching or sitting on the electronic bicycle. Hazina marveled that her friend found her form to be interesting but took no initiative to keep herself in shape. She wondered if Aziza even remembered her defense training. They were in the gym with only three people when Hazina decided to test her friend. She simply grabbed her wrist and pinned it behind her back. Aziza looked slightly confused before bursting into laughter. Hazina released her and held up her hand. If Aziza could hit her hand, she promised her that she would let her see her hair, and she would buy her that topaz bracelet she saw her staring at in that magazine. Aziza told her she needed a glove, but in the end, she was nowhere close to hitting her friend's hand.

"You're too damn fast, Hazina. That wasn't fair. You come here everyday." Aziza was leaned over with her hands on her knees.

"I barely moved, Aziza. You must get yourself into shape. What if intruders invade the ship and we have to fight?" Hazina punched the bag in front of her.

"Thank God for phasers." Aziza waved her away and sat down on the floor with a huff. "Are we going to do this every day until I hit your hand?"

That was the plan. Hazina nodded to Aziza and replied, "When I think you're getting close, I'll start wearing gloves."

Gloves were not necessary until fifteen days later. Aziza was determined to know the big secret behind Hazina's hair; she also wanted that bracelet so that it would match the dress she planned on wearing to the Halloween party. Hazina wore thin black satin gloves as she stood before Aziza with her blank face. Whether she knew it or not, Hazina had found that her friend moved in a pattern. Also, Hazina had already ordered the bracelet and received it two days earlier. What she wanted Aziza to do was break her pattern and try to surprise her.

She maneuvered out of range each time Aziza moved at her. Her eyebrows rose when her friend punched her in the stomach and grabbed her hand. With a rather loud groan, Aziza flipped Hazina onto her back. She stood over Hazina with a large smile. The taller woman stood and gave her a small bow. Training successful. They each stepped onto the running machines and spent fifteen minutes talking about the fact that Hazina's random schedule was as interesting as tribbles. Hazina had had to explain what tribbles were when her friend gave her a strange look. She would have bought one for her, but Hazina remembered the story Ambassador Spock told her about the beings when they invaded their ship. She smiled and stopped her machine.

Aziza bothered her the entire walk to their room. She danced down the hall and clapped to make a lot of noise; Hazina hated unnecessary noise. She sighed rather loudly as the door swooshed close behind them. Her fingers itched as she pulled the three silver pins from her hair and allowed it to tumble over her shoulders. Aziza's eyes lit up like a child's as she ran her fingers over the slightly curled hair. She pulled at it gently as if to verify the authenticity of it. She then dug her fingers into Hazina's scalp and massaged it.

"Whoa. I bet Kyleth would climb up a wall if he saw this. Vulcans seem like the pervy type to…sorry." She gave a nervous laugh as she sat on Hazina's bed. She sighed and looked at the poster she had taped to the wall. "I thought being in space would be more excitin--"

"Ensign Hazina, you are requested on the bridge immediately. Lieutenant Umbha, please accompany. Captain D'Liva out."

They dressed quickly and jogged to the turbolift. There was less than a 19.43% that they were needed for something other than mistakes one of them made in their numbers. Hazina pressed her lips together; her numbers were always flawless. Aziza, on the other hand, had a way of trying to even things out when her numbers didn't add up. It had been a personality trait Hazina found odd and even harder to break in her friend. Aside from the talkative and opinionated woman she saw every day, Aziza wanted to be an overachiever. Hazina inhaled deeply as they stepped off the turbolift. Everyone on the bridge except for Commander Watson, the helmsman, stood. She looked at Captain D'Liva.

"We're picking up something in Romulan from an unknown ship, but he says he can't understand it." He was the active captain while Captain Vot was resting. He turned to Aziza and motioned her forward.

Hazina sat down and took the earpiece from the red faced man. How exciting for her to be working in a communications station when she knew hardly anything about the subject. She turned the dial gently and almost smiled when she heard the woman's voice as if she stood beside her. There was no surprise the man did not recognize what the woman was saying. Not only was she speaking the ancient dialect of Romulan, but she also used Klingon verbs. She stood suddenly and turned to the captain.

"She is reporting to a sister ship that she has identified an unknown ship." She blinked and looked at Aziza, who was busily pressing in buttons on Commander Watson's panel. "She is requesting the approval of the captain to attack."

"How can you be sure?" The man standing behind her looked completely nervous. "It took me a long time to even identify what language that was. You barely have training in communications."

"Hazina, I'm making you a lieutenant. Would you like that?" Captain D'Liva walked towards her with his hands at his side. "If you can explain to everyone here what was said and repeat it perfectly, the promotion is yours."

"Sir, permission to speak freely." The lieutenant blanched when Captain D'Liva denied the motion. The captain's eyes darted back to Hazina.

She cleared her throat. "This is the ancient, or first, dialect of the Romulan language. It is not commonly used, thus it is not required of communication officers at Starfleet. However, I was raised on Vulcan. The Romulans are a brother race to ours. We learn all three dialects by the time we reach the typical age of human puberty. What confused Lieutenant Giles is the fact that they are, however, using Klingon verbs and pronouns." She went silent and sat down at the communication panel. Her fingers flew over the buttons quickly. "Commander Taitt, I am sending you a list of coordinates that…"

She stood the moment the information sent. Dropping the earpiece to the table before her, she moved and walked towards where Aziza stood. "Captain, enemy ship is approaching our coordinates. Their commander gave orders to increase warp to the highest speed, which I assume is seven. The helmsman sounded somewhat confused and repeated the number twice."

"She is correct captain. These coordinates will be ours in less than ten seconds."

"Drop out of warp." Captain D'Liva sighed and moved to sit down in his seat. "Does either of you lieutenants know why we're not picking up their ship?" He looked at Hazina then Aziza.

There were so many variables to consider that Hazina simply looked to Aziza for a simple answer. Aziza nodded. "They are probably using a cloaking device, sir."

"That would be a logical explanation, Aziza. Because they have increased their warp to seven, sir, may I suggest increasing shield strength and activating quantum beacons? If the highest warp they have is seven, then it is safe to assume their technology should not exceed that of ours." Hazina looked at the captain. She walked away until she stood by the door.

"Commander Taitt?" Captain D'Liva looked at his first officer. "What do you say about all this?"

"Keep the girl here." He nodded towards Hazina before turning back to his controls.

"I am aware of the fact that I am a subordinate, but her rank was lower than mine ten minutes ago. I request that someone explain why this-this…why she is acting almost as if she is the first officer!" The communication lieutenant glared daggers at her.

"Lieutenant Tomei, this is Hazina. She was raised on Vulcan and born on the USS Enterprise to Commanders Spock and Uhura. Let's see…she was third in her class rank on Vulcan--"

"Second, sir." Aziza coughed and looked at the floor.

"My apologies. She was second. She is the most intelligent person in her year at the academy, if not the smartest of the cadets. She is also the person that reprogrammed the Kobayashi Maru. She even has research published that can be accessed by every creature with electronic databases. Please inform me if she needs any more credibility." Captain D'Liva shook his head as he eased back into his seat. The fact that he was annoyed was written all over his face and seen in his tense posture.

"My apologies, captain. I am sorry for being…a bother. My apologies to you as well, Lieutenant Hazina." He pressed his lips together and took his seat. His hand shook as reached to increase the volume of his controls.

"We are being hailed, captain." Commander Watson proceeded after the captain nodded.

A woman with skin the color of yellowed paper appeared on the screen. Her hair was cut in the traditional Romulan style, but her forehead did, in fact, show proof that she held Klingon genes. Her dark eyes looked at each of them. _"I am R'Kuv. I would like to speak to your captain."_ She spoke smoothly in the strange language Hazina had heard earlier. The woman stared at them.

Hazina translated. "She wants to speak to the captain." When he nodded in response, she stepped forward and motion towards him. _"I am En-Lieutenant Hazina. This is Captain D'Liva of the USS Ivan."_

"_Why are you here?"_

"Sir, she asks why we are here. Also, I was incorrect in my assumption. She is using the first dialect of Romulan and the Klingon language interchangeably." Hazina looked at the captain. "It is fascinating."

"Explain who we are, our mission, and ask her what they want." Captain D'Liva stared at the woman on the screen.

"_We are an exploration crew from the Federation planet Earth. Our current course is the planet Lugestra. We are to explore the inhabitant's culture and the planet's vegetation."_

"_That planet is no longer…occupied."_

"_I do not understand."_ But she did understand. She just did not believe the comment.

"_The people of the planet refused to comply with the wishes of my captain. Their race was destroyed, save the few people who agreed and joined us. Tell your captain that we demand his ship and all occupants."_ The woman, R'Kuv, sat in her seat and smiled.

"Captain, she is requesting control of the ship and the occupants. She also says that they have killed the Lugestran race." Hazina looked at the floor. Had the communications officer received word from Starfleet? He nodded.

"Sir, a second Defiant-class ship is en route, but will not be here for two hours." The lieutenant paled before turning to his station.

"Are we to assume they are unaware of the ship we have near us?" Hazina looked at the captain.

"We are. Tell her no."

"Sir, may I speak freely?" Hazina looked at him.

"Yes, lieutenant."

"Perhaps it would be more logical to try and engage in a form of peace. They do have back-up ships en route." Hazina answered quickly. "Correct, Commander?"

"I am not sure." Commander Taitt stood. "This makes no sense to me. That ship was modeled after Klingon battleships, but has the technology of a Romulan warbird."

Hazina looked at the captain. "Logic concludes that the sister ship will be within range in the next twenty-five point fourteen minutes. That is, based upon the transmission radius of the message sent from their ship. How do we know that the mother ship is not traveling with smaller battleships? You are panicking, Commander Taitt. Please sit down and allow yourself to think clearly."

"If we just sit here, we're going to die!" Commander Taitt yelled. He inhaled deeply and turned back to his station.

Hazina turned to the smiling woman on the screen. _"The captain refuses to give up his ship, however, we are interested in negotiating." _

The woman's laughter sounded like a little girl giggling. She stood straight and her eyes followed the movement of a tall and wide man. He would have looked completely Klingon if he did not have the Romulan haircut and such pale skin. His eyes moved over our faces until they landed on the woman sitting several feet from Aziza. Her friend made an attempt to step away, but the large man's attention focused on her. She laughed nervously. His voice was rough and deep when he made one statement. _"I will negotiate for her."_

"_Captain…"_ The woman standing behind him glared at him with disdain.

"_Yes, I am captain, R'Kuv. Did you not notice that this ship is similar to the one you destroyed so few months ago?" _His attention snapped back to the people staring at him.

"He will negotiate for Lieutenant Umbha, sir." Hazina's hand formed into a fist.

"What?" The Captain frowned. "This is some barbaric…we do not trade our females."

Hazina repeated this to the man. He simply laughed and replied, _"She will come and you as well. Bring your captain or we will destroy your ship."_

"Captain, he requests that we go to his ship to negotiate. He wants Lieutenant Umbha, you, and me to join him. Or they will destroy the ship." Hazina looked at her captain. Why was she relieved she'd spoken to her mother two nights ago? She did not want her mother to have to suffer the loss she knew was looming in the distance. Her father would understand; he would take care of her.

"What do you think, Hazina?"

"The chance of us returning from the ship is less than five percent, sir." She replied. She looked at Commander Taitt.

"Two more ships have appeared, sir. They are similar to the one on screen." Commander Watson tensed.

"Tell them we will beam aboard." The captain told her quietly.

"Captain, I would like to note that the likelihood of this ship remaining unharmed is less that seven point thirty-nine percent." She turned to the people on the screen. _"We will beam aboard shortly."_

She waited at the door as the captain walked ahead of her. Instead of following him directly, slowed her pace to match that of Aziza's. She looped her arm through her friend's and smiled at her. "Let us meet our destinies."


	27. Angels Fall Down

_**Don't own a-ting.**_

She had, for all logic's benefit, removed her hairpins and pushed them into her pockets. Her slightly ruled hair tumbled over her shoulders and blew in the air coming from the fans as they followed the soldier leading them up the stairs. Her reason for setting her hair free had been simple; she did not want them to see her ears. Although the captain had given her a disapproving look before they beamed from the ship, she had quickly explained her reasoning to him as they were being led. He nodded to her and whispered something along the line of "even logical in pinches."

They sat in a small conference room at a rectangular shaped table. Hazina's face showed nothing, but her heart thundered in her chest. Oh, if she could have at least said something to the man she loved. She realized that she had not heard from Kyleth in nearly a week. Certainly, being conned into surrendering her life for their ship would be worth the sacrifice. Her thoughts went to the kiss he had given her the morning they left Vulcan. Her human side told her that what fate was leading her towards was not fair. There should have been more time. Her back straightened when the door clicked open. The captain and commander walked in. Three soldiers followed them.

"_This is not a negotiation. You, will be mine. You, will belong to my men, and, you, captain, will be executed by R'Kuv." _The captain smiled at Aziza.

"He said we're not going to negotiate. Aziza will be his. I will be his men's. You will be executed." Hazina ignored the captain's panic and looked at the tall man before her. _"We refuse."_

He laughed before leaning forward and slamming his large hands on the table. His dark eyes moved over all their faces but returned to hers. He gave her a predatory smile. _"Not negotiating. If you want to cause problems, I will send you to the dungeons."_ He narrowed his eyes and nodded. _"You two will go to the dungeons until I feel you've learned enough. We will take care of your captain." _He motioned to the three men standing at the door.

"Do not fight, Aziza." Hazina walked in front of her friend with her eyes trained to the back of the head of the man walking in front of her. He looked like he was completely Romulan.

They were led down a dark corridor and stopped in front of a cell that was completely computerized. The soldier allowed his hand to be scanned on the pad on the wall so that the bars disappeared. Hazina and Aziza were shoved inside quickly. The bars reappeared almost immediately. The men smirked at them before disappearing. Hazina stood and pressed the pad of her index finger against her elbow.

"We probably could have taken them down, Hazina!" Aziza exhaled loudly and began to pace the cell. She ignored the woman sitting in the corner of the room.

After attempting to dust off her uniform, Hazina turned to the pale woman sitting in the corner of the room. She, like the soldier that had led them there, looked completely Romulan. Hazina stepped towards her. The woman stood suddenly. _"I do not mean you harm. I am Lieutenant Hazina of the USS Ivan. Our ship has been captured. Our captain is more than likely being executed as we speak."_

She woman pressed her lips together. _"How do you know our language? The last people we saw like you did not know our language. They are in the last cell, together. They are dying."_

"_There are other people here like me?"_

"_Their speech is similar to your associate's. My name is Linak. I am former lieutenant of battle…division."_

"_What happened?" _

"_I disobeyed orders when I refused to kill six of your people. They were added to the numbers in the cell at the end. I was thrown in here."_ She rubbed her lips before looking at the floor with her dark eyes again.

"_Where do your people come from?"_ Hazina knew she should have asked the woman if there was a chance they could escape, but the fact that a race such as this could exist was more interesting. Vulcan curiosity. She squatted before the woman.

"_Our race began on a small orange planet called Aruna. It is written that there were nearly seven in the beginning, but fighting…people called Klingons and Romulans. We are descended from them. There were four Romulans, three of which were females. There were two males and a female Klingon. The race grew from them."_

"Fascinating. _Why do some of you look more like a certain race? I noticed that you look more Romulan. Your captain looks more Klingon."_

The woman laughed. _"That is always noticeable to someone not of our race. There were problems with hat almost five years ago. We had never left Aruna. The technology we have is that from our origins and those we stole. Civil war broke out. Our numbers were near a million at first, but in less than twenty years, that number dwindled down to less than half. Then, some strange creatures arrived. They had no noses. I think they were called Tellanets. I am sure I speak their name incorrectly. One of them raped one of our females. War broke out again. Death was everywhere. The male that raped our female was sick, but he and his brother were the only two of their kind to escape. There were barely a thousand of us after that. We have six ships now. Two of those were taken from that planet we destroyed." _

"_Tellarites?"_

"_Yes!" _She laughed and pressed her lips together. _"They argued for no apparent reason. The council was sick of them." _

"_Did any of your people get sick from the man?"_ Hazina looked at the woman.

"_Just the female and her baby. The males that had arrived with him, however, became sick from whatever it was. Our healers drew blood and said the sickness was a sign that we could not mate outside our own race." _She sighed. A door opened in the distance; the noise caused Hazina and the woman she spoke to look upward. She looked at Hazina with narrowed eyes of suspicion. Her head tilted. _"Those are the steps of the commander."_

Hazina turned to Aziza. "I want you to yell every bad Klingon word I taught you. Say every insult you remember. Look at the commander when you say these things. If she moves forward, move back, but when you see me tilt my head, ease forward." Hazina nodded to her and turned to look at the wall.

She smiled when Aziza began to grunt and make the familiar noises in the back of her throat. Although her friend had been using the phrases, she still needed work on them. Hazina reprimanded herself for thinking of something so distracting when she needed to be working on the plan. She grimaced at the stickiness of the wall as she rested her back against it. Her face turned into a blank mask as the commander stopped in front of their cell with a sneer. Right on cue, Aziza glared at the woman and went into a tirade.

"_You…you and friend are enjoying your time here?" _The woman shot Aziza a dirty look when she said something about her mother. _"You do not know my mother. Please refrain from referring to her with such words." _ The corner of the woman's eye twitched as she looked at the woman folded in the corner. She looked at Hazina again and folded her hands behind her back.

"_My friend and I are ready--"_ Hazina's statement was cut short when the commander leapt forward angrily and wrapped her hand around the bars of the cell.

"_You filthy skin clinger*, you know nothing of my family. Nothing! Just as I killed your captain, I will break you." _Her dark eyes simmered at she glared at Aziza through the bars.

Aziza, who had jumped away when the woman grabbed the bars, began to ease forward when Hazina tilted her head. She remained silent and forced a smile. Her boots made soft scraping sounds as she stopped almost two feet away. She opened her mouth, and a stream of insults followed. The woman growled and shoved her hand between the bars so that she held the front of Aziza's uniform shirt. Her other hand moved through quickly; her fist slammed into Aziza's jaw then her nose. Aziza howled in pain and tried to squirm away. Several guards appeared but looked away and returned to their post when they saw the woman gripping Aziza through the bars. She shoved Aziza away and laughed. When Aziza looked at her with a smile, her laughter stopped. Aziza wiped her broken nose and stood to her feet. She again muttered something about the woman's mother. She gave Hazina a glare as she eased back towards the cell bars.

When the commander's left hand moved through the bar to grab Aziza again, Hazina thrust out her own hand. A sickening crack disturbed the silence. The woman's face paled. Hazina moved forward quickly and delivered a perfect nerve pinch to the woman. Her form slumped forward, causing her forehead to slam against the bars before she hit the ground. Hazina pulled the woman to her and moved through the bars until she was close to the wall. She remained immobile and listened for several moments. Silence. She Stood and lifted the commander with her left arm so that she used her right hand to lift the woman's wrist and place her hand on the scanner. The bars disappeared suddenly. After removing the woman's weapons, Hazina pushed the phaser into her pocket. It was probably the second model to be created.

"_Come. It is better than to die not trying." _Hazina looked at the woman in the corner.

She handed her the knife she'd taken from the commander's boot. After lifting the woman over her shoulder, they quietly moved down the corridor. She pressed the woman's hand to each of the scanners until nearly forty people stood behind her. Neatly placing the commander on the floor of the last cell, Hazina moved forward and led the group back toward the stairs. She held her hand up as she looked around the corner. Two guards. Aziza, who had taken the phaser the woman had in her right boot, kneeled and aimed at the man on the right. Hazina set her phaser to stun and fired. The two man fell to the floor with loud thuds. Hazina pressed her lips together when she saw the hole on the side of the man Aziza shot.

"Stun, Aziza." Hazina took the two phasers off the soldiers and handed one to Linak and the other to a person wearing a woman with dirty hair wearing a dingy gold uniform.

They moved forward slowly. She could tell Aziza was anxious about getting away, but Hazina wanted to look for other prisoners. Her brown eyes swept the stairs as the moved up. One more flight and they would be at near the power supply of the ship. Aziza placed her hand on Hazina's shoulder

"This is going to sound weird, but where the hell are we? And there a guy that looks eerily like Kanshero back there. I am serious." Aziza motioned to the grimy people standing behind them. They were thin, and the men's faces were covered in hair.

"Illogical. He would have addressed us. Unless he has temporary memory lapse. We will speak of this later." Hazina ducked just as a soldier rounded the corner. Panic flooded her body. He had seen her! She could hear footsteps. Based upon the sound, there were four men running their way. She told Aziza this by holding up four fingers. She nodded to Aziza and Linak. She stepped around the corner and delivered a punch to each man before her. Ducking, her eyes widened in surprise when Aziza delivered a well aimed roundhouse kick on one of the men. Linak leapt forward and attacked the two men in the rear. Hazina, being the rational person that she was rendered the man against her unconscious in the easiest way she knew how. She shook her head at Aziza and pinched the shoulder of the man her friend was punching.

"What? Their commander broke my nose!" She took the weapons and handed them to the people behind them. "Shoot. You people better help more or we will leave you here." She wiped a trail of blood from her lip and followed Hazina through the door. "Where are the soldiers?"

Linak, of course, could not understand what Aziza said, but she did decipher the look of confusion on the faces of the people behind her. It was the tall girl that looked completely emotionless. Linak paled. _"The soldiers are gone. They must be engaged in battle."_

"_Will we have a hard time getting to the shuttles?" _

Linak smiled. _"No. I will show you the easiest way there." _

Although Hazina found that the woman was somewhat off, she could not think of another solution to their dilemma. The way she remembered to the shuttles would have taken them up another floor and down again. Her brown eyes met Linak's dark gaze; she nodded. The followed the woman silently. Someone in the back decided to star humming a song, but Aziza disappeared into the middle of the group. A groan was heard before the humming stopped. Aziza appeared beside her again with a large smile. Linak pressed her hand against a scanner and gave a small laugh when the door swished open. She dropped to one knee and fired three times. The three soldiers fell face forward into the metal floor. She waved her hand quickly.

"_There are only eight shuttles. Each one holds six people. There is one for a single person." _ She looked at Hazina with a strange smile. Her dark eyes moved to the girl's lips as she began to speak.

"_You take the single shuttle."_ Hazina nodded.

Linak pressed her hand against each scanner before stopping in front of the small port that held her shuttle. _"What is your name again?"_

"_Hazina."_ Hazina lifted her hair into a ponytail at the top of her head. Her jaw clenched when she saw the look the woman gave her once she saw her ears. _"Of Vulcan."_

The woman relaxed and nodded. _"I shall wait your lead."_

"Okay everybody divide into groups of six." Her eyes swept the nine groups. "Each of you people must join another group. There should a person wearing gold in each of your groups. Good. You wearing the gold will set the coordinates in for the nearest planet the shuttle recognizes. We are spreading as soon as we eject. Do not, for any reason, attempt to assist someone that goes down." Hazina looked at Aziza when she grabbed her arm.

Her friend motioned towards a man wearing a gold sweater and black pants. He had short black hair and a thick beard. "That's him, Hazina! Bring him to our group."

"We must leave, Aziza. I am piloting our ship, and you are assisting me. Why would I take him from that group? That is an illogical request." She turned to the people before her. We will take off in forty-five seconds."

"Good luck!" Aziza smiled at them. "Bye, Kanshero." The man she spoke to did not even look her way as he disappeared.

"I told you the probability of that being him was extremely low." Hazina sat in the seat at the controls system and marveled at the technology. Getting out of there would be easier than she thought. She pulled the lever back slowly as she counted down mentally. Ready for take off.

"I'm really nervous. I think I should have stayed behind." A woman with dusty b lack hair and brilliantly green eyes looked at the people sharing the shuttle with her.

"We agree." Aziza glared at her and moved towards Hazina. "Punch it." She jumped into her seat and put on her belt just as the shuttle shot out.

The other shuttles followed in close pursuit. Hazina released a sigh of relief and ignored the gasps and screams of the people behind her. So, there really was a battle going on less than two hundred yards from them. She steered the shuttle as best she could. Why had she taken only one piloting class?! Her fingers flew across the control board as a piece of burning debris flew their way. Aziza released a sigh of relief as the metal flew passed them. Hazina looked at her friend out the corner of her eyes and set the speed of the shuttle to maximum, which was warp two. She was about to turn and say something to them when one of the women screamed. Something hard slammed into them. She snapped back into attention on the controls.

She dropped their speed and tried to release the coolant from the shuttle in an attempt to put out the fire. They had been hit by a low strength beam. Why didn't the stupid shuttle have shields? She looked at the woman slumped against Aziza and cocked her head towards her. Aziza pressed her hand against the woman's neck.

In Swahili she said, _"Dead as my pet goldfish."_ She began to unlock the belt. With little strain, she pushed the woman to the floor. The girl on the end whimpered. "Sit here, Hazina. Set in the coordinates for the nearest landing place. We're going to go down either way."

"Releasing the coolant and dropping out of warp has slowed us. If I put us back into warp, we may make it to the nearest planet, which is unnamed and classified as N." Hazina typed in the commands before moving to the seat beside Aziza. She looked at the dead woman on the floor and then back to her friend. Her thumb and index finger fell upon her friend's swelling nose. A loud crock resounded in the air as she pushed the bone back into place. "Considering the speed and instability of the shuttle, we will have hard turbulence upon entering the atmosphere."

"We're probably going to die." A girl with brown skin shrugged from a seat across from them. "Better here than on that disgusting ship."

Aziza shrugged and ducked her head at the look Hazina gave her. Her lips appeared to move quickly as she closed her eyes.

"Are you praying?" Hazina looked at Aziza. Their ride suddenly began to become bumpy.

"Yes." Aziza sighed and held up a communicator.

"I was also sending a voice message to your mom's number. I took it off one of the soldiers Linak shot down. It works." She moved to hand the communicator to Hazina, but it flew out of her hand and shattered on the floor as the shuttle shook violently. She laughed nervously and clutched the metal beside her. "I hope your mom got that message."

Hazina closed her eyes and tried to focus her thoughts on being calm. If her mother actually received the message, they would receive help in an estimated time of twelve to fourteen days. That is, if they were still in the same city in the delta quadrant. Hazina's head snapped back and her skull slammed into the soft leather behind it as the shuttle hit the atmosphere. Aziza sat beside her hyperventilating and glaring at the brown girl smiling at them.

The shuttle did a complete flip as it began to pick up speed towards the ground. Hazina undid her belt and moved to the controls quickly. She disengaged warp but realized it would do little help. The dark orange dirt of the planet seemed unusually close as she ducked into the small hole in front of the seat and sighed. Glass and metal flew out everywhere around them. Hazina's eyes widened in surprise as her head slammed into the metal behind it. Getting out of her seat had been a very illogical move. Her body slouched to the side and she blinked as her conscious vanished.

_**A/N: Skin-clinger is another way of saying whore. Next chapter is the last. Also, part two is going to be littered with violence, sex, humor and more violence. Thanks for reading!! **_


	28. The Undeveloped Story

_**Don't own anything related to Star Trek. It was fun writing this. Ohh and bold italics are Kyleth's words to Hazina's mind. You'll get it. Don't panic.**_

**Hazina. **A soft voice was whispering her name while a hand caressed her cheek. Her eyes jolted open when a small warm hand intertwined their fingers. Her hand shot out and slammed into soft flesh. The person she hit fell away from her with a loud thud. Damn it. Why hadn't she kept on those gloves from earlier? She blinked to make sure what she was seeing was real. A reddish orange sky loomed above her. They were on Vulcan? She realized that thought was not true as she sat up. The gravity on the planet was slightly stronger than that on Earth. Her brown eyes darted to the figure lying unconscious several feet away from her. Standing, she attempted to clean some of the dust from her clothes. Her vision blurred for a moment. Her eyes fluttered close, and she tried to stop the ringing in her ears. She blinked as Aziza trotted towards her. Her friend smiled and said something, but she could not hear it.

"I cannot hear you!" She spoke louder than she had meant to. The only reason she knew this was because Aziza looked annoyed. Her friend nodded.

_One of the girls found water, but we cannot drink it. Oh, you knocked Lila unconscious._ Aziza stopped signing and began to laugh as she stared at the pale girl lying on the ground.

Her boot clad foot tapped the girl's leg gently. When she didn't move, Aziza flipped her over and slapped her with the back of her left hand. The girl blinked and grabbed her cheek. Her blue eyes glared daggers at Hazina as she stood and said something before bouncing away. Aziza rolled her eyes and shook her head. She wore a large grin when she motioned to Hazina.

_There are only four of us. I hate to say this, but I do not think we are going to make it. I was able to get the communicator from what is left of the shuttle, but it's in horrible shape. _ She took a long time at the words communicator and shuttle. Aziza insisted that she had not had to use sign language since her grandma had gone Deaf almost fifteen years earlier. _I did like it. I have a book on it. Do you understand?_

Hazina nodded. Unlike Aziza, her mother was a communications officer. Her mother had insisted that they study sign language, because it was an easy way to communicate with almost all humans. Why was a language she found illogical and a waste of time suddenly useful to her? She pinned her hair up as they continued to walk. The planet was littered with sand that resembled that of Earth's and many caves. What intrigued her most, however, was the fact that there was no sun. She looked at the back of Aziza's head.

"How is it that you are all unharmed?" Hazina tried to maintain her natural volume.

Her friend had obviously responded but remembered that she couldn't hear. Aziza turned to her and spoke again: slower and louder. She could not hear a word that was said, but she read her lips perfectly. She was speaking in Swahili. _"We found a medical pack. It was small. Lila was really the only person that wasn't harmed."_ She took Hazina's hand and ran it through her hair. _"There was a large gash there. We had enough sealing gel for just that. Lila sewed Alicia shut, but she has a fever now. You've been out for almost three days. We took turns checking on you. Lila said you weren't to be moved until you woke up. If you woke up. That smartass…"_

"Why are you speaking in Swahili?" Hazina's eyebrows lifted.

"_I'm speaking Federation."_

Hazina shook her head. "I am watching your lips, Aziza. Have you spoken to either of the other two girls?"

"_I did. Lila gave me a weird look, and Alicia laughed."_ She pressed her lips together. _"I didn't even tell a joke!"_

"Alicia probably is hallucinating from all the drugs Lila injected her with. Lila, on the other hand, heard you but did not understand. Do you truly think you are speaking standard Federation?" Hazina narrowed her eyes.

"_Yes! I don't understand. It sounds like…"_

"It is your natural language. There has been some damage to your frontal lobe. Just as I obviously have damage to my temporal lobe. Then again, the balance of the fluid in my ear could have simply been thrown off." She continued to walk as her mind produced more explanations for their problems.

Aziza tapped her on the arm and motioned towards Lila. Lying on the ground and covered by a thick blue blanket was the brown skinned girl from earlier. Aziza touched her arm again and said, _"I am pretty sure she will die within the next day. We'll probably die a few days after that. We're going to starve or dehydrate." _

Hazina kneeled beside Alicia and asked Lilia to show her where the girl's wounds were. There was a slash about the length of her palm on the girl's chest and in the corresponding area on her back; a piece of metal had impaled her. She motioned to the gash on the girl's thigh. Hazina nodded.

"_Can you help her?"_ Aziza stood sat a few feet away staring at her. She closed her eyes when Hazina shook her head.

"The metal in her chest punctured her lung. Has she begun to spit up blood? She can live with the wound on her leg. It missed her femoral artery." Hazina looked at Aziza with lifted eyebrows.

"_She's been coughing up blood since this morning, or, about seven hours ago."_ Aziza sighed.

Hazina looked at Alicia. She swallowed and placed her fingers on the girl's cheek. Memories flooded her mind. She was five years old on a swing in the Alabama sun; she was twelve and punching a boy in the stomach for trying to kiss her. She was seventeen and just learning how to drive; she was twenty-two and receiving her first proposal. She was walking onto the SS Charles with a large smile and more hope than logically possible for a human. They were being attacked; fear struck her and stayed with her until she saw Aziza's smiling face. Pain. She was in pain. She thought the drugs were a waste, and she would rather be dead. She wanted someone to do it. Aziza. For some reason, she felt that she would be more agreeable to doing it than the robotic light skinned girl. And she thought Lila was a raging lunatic. Ever since she first met her on the SS Charles. Hazina gently broke the meld and stared at the woman on the ground.

"Aziza, would you kill Alicia if I told you she wants you to?" Hazina saw the woman's eyes widen in surprise. The darker woman looked towards Aziza with hopeful eyes.

"_No. I've gotten attached to her. You know? Staying up and talking to her over the past few days."_

Hazina turned her brown eyes back to the woman staring at Aziza. "She said no." Her dark eyes closed before her head rested against the blanket underneath it. Hazina picked up the syringe labeled potassium chloride. Although she did not know Alicia, she did know the woman's pain. She held up the syringe and said to her in a soft voice, "My teachings are against this, however, you will suffer more pain within the next hour and die within the next twenty four hours afterwards. It is your decision." She placed the syringe within arm's reach and stood.

Aziza slapped her on the back and frowned. _"How can you just tell someone that?"_

"If I were not in my right mind, Aziza, I would meld with you and show you exactly what she is feeling. Do you remember that fear you felt before we boarded the ship? Do you remember how it felt when you were stabbed in the shoulder by that soldier? Imagine having that fear being replaced by pain. The only thing she can taste is her own blood. She barely has coherent thoughts. It was logical to tell her the truth. No one wants to be lied to Aziza. No matter how much they protest that truth." Hazina saw Alicia watching her out the corner of her eye.

The woman gaze was glued to the syringe. "Please."

She glanced at Aziza before she squatted on the side and took the syringe. That would not be an act of violence; it would be an act of mercy. She inhaled deeply and ignored the glare Lila shot her as she pressed the syringe against the side of Alicia's neck. The dosage was three times what was actually needed. Her thumb eased down onto the button until the clear liquid shot into Alicia's neck. She dropped the syringe to the ground and swallowed. One second Alicia was breathing; the next her gaze was dull and stuck on the orange sky. Hazina closed the woman's eyes and stood.

She knew from the way Lila was gesturing that she was saying something, but with her gaze cast towards the ground, Hazina completely ignored it. Not even acknowledging the solemn look on Aziza's face, she continued to walk. It would be better to feign exploring the land than to stand in one place moping. What was she to do with all the memories Alicia had given her? Would she ever meet Alicia's chocolate colored niece with the curly black hair? If she did ever meet them, would it not be illogical to tell them the daughter they thought was dead was actually alive but died three days after being rescued. That, she deduced, would be cruel. No, she would leave Alicia's family to their own devices. After all, how was she so sure she would get off that planet alive?

Aziza jumped in front of her and shoved her hands outward to stop her from slamming into her. _What are you doing? We cannot leave on our own. We have no supplies._ Aziza shoved the broken communicator into her hands. _Fix it._ She angrily signed each word.

Hazina stared at the pieces in her hand with round eyes. It was impossible to repair the communicator, but the circuitry was still active. She handed the machine back to Aziza. "Go back to the wreckage and wait there. I will return."

_No!_

"Aziza, have you not noticed that the gravity level here is stronger than on Earth? You are breathing heavier from the little distance it took you to get to me. Return to the shuttle and wait for help."

"_If you wanted to die alone, all you had to do was say that."_ She threw the communicator on the ground and stomped away.

Although she turned her head, Hazina saw the tears that stained Aziza's cheeks. She inhaled and continued to walk. If she found water that they could use, their time there would be better. She frowned and stared at the lake in the distance. That was probably the water Lila had found. She continued to walk until she came to a tall wall of caves and boulders. It was one of the most magnificent sights she had ever seen. The color of the rocks ranged from tan to red. Her fingers brushed an orange boulder before she pulled herself atop of it. Her gaze swept the land behind her; Aziza had not followed. She did not know what to make of the disappointment she felt. Instead of lingering on the feeling, she pushed it away and continued to climb. Halfway up, she felt something hard hit her back. She gripped the rock above and hoisted herself up quickly.

Lila stood at the base of the rocks glaring at her with her hands on her hips. She yelled something that Hazina could not understand. Hazina turned and continue to climb. Two more rocks and she would be at the top. Something hard smashed into the back of her skull. Her fingers slipped slightly before she caught herself. A rock the size of her palm fell off the boulder underneath her to the ground. What did this insufferable woman want? She continued to climb until she reached the top. Her gaze slightly blurred the figure on the ground until she saw Aziza walking in the distance. Hazina squinted and nearly stumbled as she leaned forward in panic. There was someone behind her!

"Go help Aziza!" She screamed at the woman below.

The blond remained immobile. Hazina's pulse pounded in her ears as she turned and quickly began to descend to rocks. The panic rising in her body made her palms wet but that did not matter because the rocks were dusty and dry. What did matter, however, was the fact that her body began to tremble. The shuttle did not inform them that life existed on the planet. Neither of the women had mentioned the idea that other people could be there. Hazina's grip on the rock above her tightened as her foot slipped. She was going to fall and break her neck when she landed. Her heart thundered in her chest; her mouth was completely dry. She pressed her lips together and tried to find the place they had been before. Nothing. Her fingers slipped. Her head slammed into the rock below before her body tumbled over and fell the remaining twenty-two feet.

~8~

Heat. Her body was filled with so much heat that she felt she needed to submerge herself within the Atlantic Ocean. She groaned and rolled over onto her side. A bright orange fire burned several feet away from her. Her fingers twitched as she tried to sit up but fell flat onto her back again. What was she lying on? It was warm and soft. Was she not on Vulcan waiting for her letter from Starfleet? Had she been attacked by Kurom and T'Lek again? Her brown eyes darted amongst the darkness that loomed over her. Where was she?

She felt someone approaching her from behind, but she pretended to be sleep. Her body immediately recognized the familiar presence. Her eyes fluttered open, and she was surprised to find her friend staring at her. She suppressed the humiliating happiness that swelled within her. She pulled the sheet over her body up to her chin when she realized that she was not wearing any clothes. Her brown gaze locked with the dark one that watched her.

"_What are you doing here? Did my grandfather tell you where I was?" _She looked around as she spoke in her most native tongue. _"I must admit that I am unsure of where I am."_

Soft fingers brushed damp hair from her forehead before pressing into her cheek. Hazina's eyes closed as several memories barraged her. She was already a cadet at Starfleet! She had kissed Kyleth. One of her friend had died. Then, memories that had been crushed at the back of her mind began to surface. Her body went rigid as the last memory came to her. She inhaled deeply when Kyleth pulled away from her. His gaze locked with hers as he pushed a bowl of soup towards her. Her lower lip trembled as she drank. When she tried to push the bowl away, he closed his eyes and moved closer to her.

_**Open your mouth, Hazina. You have been unconscious for nearly four days. Drink the soup or I will tie you down and force it down your throat.**_

He blinked and inhaled deeply when she snatched the bowl away from him and drank the soup thirstily. The bowl smashed several feet away on a rock. She glared at him before attempting to turn away. His hand wrapped around her arm tightly as he yanked her towards him. What was it she was seeing in his eyes? Her heart rate increased as his gaze left her face and fell to her exposed chest.

"_What is wrong, Kyleth?" _

_**That is not what you want to ask me, Hazina. **_ He was speaking to her by placing the words directly in her mind.

"_What are you doing here and where is Aziza?"_ She swallowed at the gaze he threw her way before he stood.

_**I left Tellar Prime eight days three hours and fourteen minutes ago. This is not because I finished my job. It is because I was on my way to Vulcan. However, you seemed to have been rendered unconscious at some point. When I did a search for the coordinates where the ring you're wearing is located, I found this planet. I arrived here, according to Lieutenant Umbha, two days after your crew. Lieutenant Umbha is on my shuttle recuperating from an attack she sustained from an inhabitant here.**_

"_Is she okay?" _

_**She will be fine. She received a blow to the back of the head and a broken shoulder. I think she has suffered cerebral damage before this. Signs say that she has. **_

"_Why were you returning to Vulcan if your assignment is incomplete? That action is illogical, Kyleth."_

_**Pon farr is illogical, Hazina. **_ He suddenly blocked her from his thoughts and turned away from her. He stood and moved so that the fire obscured his view of her.

It dawned upon her that she had probably been the trigger for his suffering. Had she not been insistent with him when they were on Vulcan in his apartment? She pushed the sheet away and inhaled deeply as she stood. The wood burning in the fire gave off a sweet scent that reminded her of pine and mint. Her feet sank into the soft sand as she moved towards him. His eyes were glued to her face.

_**Stop. Please. **_

"_I am yours. For you, Kyleth." _Her index finger trailed down his face until she touched the tip of his nose. She leaned down slowly and brushed her lips along his ear. She kissed the tip before biting on it gently. What the hell was she doing? She stood and rubbed the sides of her head. It hurt. His fingers brushed her neck as he injected her with a hypospray and lifted her to carry her back to the blankets he had for her.

When she woke up, she found that she was, in fact, alone and dressed in a light gray tunic that stopped mid thigh. She slid from the blanket and braced herself for the wave of dizziness, but it did not come. Her eyes fell to the footprints in the sand as she walked around the fire. There was no sun, but there was light coming from some distant star. She stilled and looked over an oddly shaped rock to see Kyleth sitting in the sand two yards away as in deep meditation. She eased towards him and sat down in front of him with her lips pressed together. A soft breeze pushed several string of her hair from her face. Her index finger twitched as her hand slowly moved towards him.

His skin was smooth and hot underneath her touch. Although he knew she was there, he continued his attempt at meditating. His hand clamped down on her wrist when her fingers got dangerously close to brushing his. He grabbed each of her wrists with on of his hands and pushed her onto her back. Her face revealed no emotions, but her heart had increased and her breathing more shallow. He lifted her hands above her head and simply stared at her. His dark eyes lingered at the quick rise and fall of her chest before he lowered his gaze to her thighs.

_**Go away, Hazina. **_ He released her and turned towards the vast sea of sand before them. His hands shook as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"_No."_

_**I said go!**_ He turned to glare at her.

She extended her left hand. _"If you are rejecting me, then I request that you remove this from my finger." _

He shook his head and pressed his lips together. His eyes were filled with anger, but he did not speak a word. No, he simply glared at her and began to walk away. Hazina narrowed her eyes and ran after him. She shoved him from behind. _"Take it."_

He turned to her with enough fury on his face that he caused her to shrink back. Pressing his hands against his face, he sighed and gave her a smile. _**What do you want?**_

"_I want you to show me that I am yours." _ When he did not respond she began to walk away from him.

_**Where are you going? **_ He frowned at her.

Hazina shrugged and continued to walk. _"Aziza said she believes Kanshero is alive. I think I will take your shuttle and go search for him." _ Her teeth sank into her tongue when she felt anger and jealousy burn through her body like hot oil. Her body tensed when she felt his hands on her shoulders.

_**What if you are too fragile?**_

She scowled and turned to him quickly. The palms of her hands slammed into his chest and sent him backwards four steps. Her brown eyes bore into his with so much anger and compassion that he looked away. _"What if you are too fragile?" _

She ran forward and shoved him again. The back of her right hand struck his cheek before she turned and walked away. She stopped and turned to him. His face had a slightly green glow about it. _"Are you not going to follow me?"_

His jaw clenched as he looked into her eyes. _**I have no intentions of helping you find the human man you are fond of.**_

"_You are unbelievable." _She was angry. Her fists clenched and she stalked towards him with a dangerous glare.

He lifted his chin just as she closed in on him. Her lips pressed against his hungrily as she ignored the insects fluttering in her stomach. Her fingers moved through his hair as she pressed herself against the front of him and deepened the kiss. Her breath came to her in quick gasps as his lips left her mouth and placed warm kisses along her neck and shoulder. She shoved him away from her angrily. They looked at one another several moments before Hazina ran her fingers through her hair. She swallowed at the look of desire that clouded his eyes as he watched her fingers. Her fingers stopped midway and began to twirl the hair. She quickly lifted her hair and wrapped it until it was in a slightly loose bun. She turned on her heels and began to walk away. A smile tugged at her lips when she felt him following her.

The fire had dwindled down to mere embers by the time they made it back to their small campsite. After wiping as much sand from her hands as possible, she bent over to pick up her uniform. Kyleth's hand was warm when it clamped down on her wrist. Her back straightened as she turned to look at him with raised eyebrows. His eyelids fluttered as his finger brushed up the soft material of the tunic and over the soft skin of her neck. He stepped towards her and pressed his three fingers upon her cheek. She thought a mind meld was illogical; she could already feel what he was feeling.

_**No, you have not.**_ His lips brushed her forehead as her eyes widened in surprise.

The feeling she experienced earlier had returned; her blood was on fire. His arms wrapped around her waist before she could crumple to the ground. His lips covered hers and his hand moved down to squeeze her breast. She moaned into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled away briefly to lift the tunic over her head and toss it aside. He wasted no time wrapping his arms around her and covering her face with kisses. His lips brushed her neck before his teeth sank into the soft flesh. Hazina gasped and dug her fingernails into the sides of his face. He pulled away from her so quickly that she scratched him on his right cheek. His index finger touched the brown blood; a smile stretched his lips as his dark gaze fell upon her.

She did something illogical; she stepped forward and simply ripped the robes he wore. The smile on his face did not falter. Her hands moved over his shoulders and down the hardness of his chest. He simply pulled her hair loose and buried his face in the ebony locks. His breathing increased as his face moved to her neck. Her breath caught in her throat as he lifted her and deposited her on the blanket. Her shoulder bumped the rock behind her. She glared at him but forgot her anger when she saw how beautiful he was. The soft green glow coming from his body made her begin to ache to feel him.

_**Good. **_His fingers brushed her face before her shoved her onto her back.

~8~

Her body was in definite pain. She groaned as she rolled over to find that the fire had died completely. Every inch of her body tensed as she sat up. Kyleth sat on the other side of the black pit watching her with worried eyes but a blank face. His gaze moved from her face to her neck and lower. He stood and walked over to her. He was dressed black robes. He extended his hand and pulled her up against him. She visibly winced when her chest brushed his. Okay, so the guy she was bonded with liked to bite during sex.

_**I am sorry.**_ He glanced at the bruise by her lip and the dark marks on her neck and shoulder. He hesitated to look any lower.

The humiliation and shame rising in the back of his mind was wiped away quickly by devotion. His gaze met Hazina, and she nodded and slid her arm through his. He put the tunic over her and led her back down the beach. His hands fell upon her waist so that he lifted her over his head until he felt her moving onto the patch of dry land there. He climbed up easily and walked ahead of her.

_**Before I found you and your crew, I decided to explore the land within a ten mile radius. I found that there is only one area where the water is potable and sterile. **_He took her hand into his and began to walk into one of the caves.

Her hold on his hand tightened as they moved deeper within the cave. The land began to slope downward. Hazina moved closer to Kyleth and looked around with wide eyes. They were surrounded by white and brown crystals. Kyleth stopped walking and turned to her. He motioned towards the large circle in the ground. It was the strangest river Hazina had ever seen. Kyleth lifted the tunic over her head and inhaled sharply. She stepped into the water slowly; it was warm.

Her Starfleet uniform was cleaned and smelled of vanilla as she pulled the long sleeved shirt over her head. She zipped up her skirt and pulled on her boots. Had Kyleth cleaned her things while she was sleeping? How long had she been sleeping? She ran her fingers through her hair and was relieved when he handed her a single silver pin. Her hair felt better down, but it tangled easily when it was in its natural state. She pressed her lips together and looked at him. Her hand touched his right cheek were a bruise was from where she had scratched him several days earlier. He enveloped her in a tight hug.

She saw Aziza approaching them and ended the embrace quickly. Her friend looked frantic as she ran towards them with a large black bag. She placed the bag at their feet and stopped to catch her breath. Her hands moved quickly. _Men attacked the shuttle. I waited until they left and got as much stuff as I could from out of there before I ran away. I'm sorry, but I think they're dismantling it._ She frowned and began to walk past them.

Hazina followed her friend's gaze. She was surprised, although it did not show, to see her father and Uncle Jim walking along the beach. Hazina squeezed Kyleth's hand and followed Aziza. Her friend clapped happily and was quickly chatting to Jim and her father. Her father looked at her and said something in Vulcan. She narrowed her eyes and stepped closer to him. _**He inquires after your health.**_ She turned to Kyleth with raised eyebrows.

"_I am fine, father."_ She knew the volume of her voice surprised him.

Jim said something that she did not understand. Aziza turned to her with a large grin and signed: _you don't look fine._

Spock looked at Aziza's hand. His gaze met his daughter's. Hazina blinked and motioned towards Kyleth. "Father, Uncle Jim, this is Kyleth."

Jim said something that made him and Aziza laugh, but her father was staring at the man standing beside her. Hazina stepped closer to Kyleth. "Kyleth saved Aziza and me."

Aziza said something that made Jim laugh again. _He tried to help Lila too, but she wanted to stay here. Those men have her wrapped around their fingers. _

Hazina looked at Kyleth when she felt his uneasiness. He glanced at her before looking ahead and pushing his emotions away. She turned to him and whispered, _"What is wrong?"_

_**Your father makes me uneasy.**_ He blinked.

Her eyebrows lifted slowly before a chuckle escaped her. She pressed her lips together in agitation. Her shoulders and back were still in pain. She wanted to see the doctor as soon as possible. She knew Aziza was trying to explain everything to her father and Jim as they walked back towards the beaming site. Hazina stepped away from Kyleth and enveloped her father in a tight hug. She had to maintain the action as they beamed aboard the ship.

Her mother hugged her as soon as they stepped off the platform. She planted a big kiss on her forehead and hugged her tightly as she said something that looked to be in Swahili. Her father said something to her mother that made the smile on her face falter slightly. "That's fine. As long as you are alive."

Hazina could read her lips easily. Her gaze moved from her mother's lips. "Thank you, mother." She hugged her again.

There was no getting settled in when McCoy appeared in the hall and gave Hazina a strange look. He took her by the elbow towards medical bay while muttering things she could not hear. _**Calm down, Hazina. He, like the others, worries because of the bruises.**_

McCoy said something to her while looking down at the PADD in his hand. He looked up at her with agitation until Kyleth said something to him. A sad expression passed before he nodded with acceptance. He stepped closer to her. "How do you feel?"

"There is occasional ringing in my ear, and I am in pain." She stiffened at the look Kyleth gave her.

McCoy looked at the taller man before turning his attention to Hazina. "Where?"

Her cheeks turned a light shade of red. "Everywhere."

"What happened?" McCoy gripped the PADD tightly.

"I fell from a height of twenty-three feet." Hazina sighed. It was true.

"Fine. I'll give you some pain medicine and something to put you to sleep. Where did you get that scratch?"

When Kyleth did not respond, Hazina spoke for him. "He is fine."

McCoy looked at her and shook his head. "Sure he is. Damned Vulcans." He wandered away from them and returned to inject her with two hyposprays. "Get some rest, kid."

Kyleth walked beside her as they went to her parents' quarters. She was not surprised to find Aziza there. She was surprised to see Sulu, Chekov, and Kirk talking to her friend. Each of them men took her into tight hugs. Kirk said something but made the mistake of turning his head as he spoke. Hazina allowed the frown to distort her features for several seconds before she masked her confusion. Aziza touched her on the shoulder. _They have quarters for us! They also beamed aboard some people from a shuttle they came across. _

Aziza said something to Jim that made Kyleth stiffen. He looked away from her when she turned to him. Her attention went back to her friend when the girl squeezed her arm tightly. "I told you it was Kanshero!" She pressed a hand against her chest in happiness.

"I can share a room with Aziza." Hazina looked at her friend.

"No, you're a lieutenant. Lieutenants get their own rooms." Kirk smiled at her. He looked at the bruises on her neck. "Those look like--"

Her father's mouth moved, which meant he'd intentionally interrupted the captain. He motioned towards his daughter and said something that looked like rest. Hazina forced a smile as the three crew members left the room. She looked at her parents with a confused expression.

"Where will Kyleth sleep?" Hazina placed her hand on the back of the couch when the sleeping medicine began to kick in.

"He has a room for himself, Hazina." Her mother looked at the man standing beside her daughter. She smiled. "Thank you."

Kyleth gave them a small bow and excused himself. Hazina's face fell slightly, but she covered it quickly enough to fool her friend and mother. She turned her head when her father stared at her. "Let us go, Aziza. I am sorry, mother and father, but the medicine Uncle Len gave me is making me drowsy. I will speak to you when I wake." She went into her room silently and collapsed on the bed before she could remove her boots.

When she woke up, the clock read that she had been asleep for thirteen hours, ten minutes, and fifty seconds. She peeled her clothes away and was surprised to find her closet empty. Her mother appeared in her doorway carrying a blue uniform. She stopped and stared at Hazina with round eyes. _What happened? _The uniform was on the couch.

Hazina was accustomed to being naked in front of her mother. Occasions such as those had risen more than thirty times as far back as her memory dated. She looked down at the bruises on her chest hips and thighs. Her gaze met her mother's. "Kyleth."

_What?_

"Mother, you know what happened." Hazina stared at her mother until realization hit the older woman. She nodded. "He was on his way to Vulcan when he detoured to help me. I am his bondmate, mother. I found my decision logical."

_And you love him._

"Yes." Hazina picked up her uniform and went into the bathroom.

She blinked as the ringing returned to her ears. A muffled sound invaded her ears. Her head tilted slightly as she looked around the room with wide eyes. Her gaze darted upward where she was reward with the sight of a small vent. Perhaps her hearing would come back to her in a few more days. She showered and dressed quickly. Her mother sat on the couch staring at the communicator in her hand. She looked up when she heard Hazina enter.

"We are going to dinner in the mess hall." Her mother nodded and wrapped her arm around her shoulders.

It was all muffled, but Hazina read her lips perfectly. Her brown eyes were glued to the grayish blue carpet as they walked down the corridor. Her mother was talking; she could hear the muffled noise as easy as she could see the carpet beneath her feet. It was annoying to think that she could hear sounds, but they were not complete sounds. She sighed slightly and rested her head on her mother's shoulder.

Aziza jumped from the table and ran over to her when they entered. She got a tray and picked up some things she knew Hazina would like before she led her friend over to the table. Nyota shook her head and laughed as she sat down next to Scotty. Hazina stood and stared at the man sitting beside Sulu. She pressed her lips together and swallowed. Relief and disbelief filled her thoughts. Her face remained impassive as he looked up and smiled at her. He stood and walked around the table to pull her into a tight hug. Her arms seemed to move on their own as she wrapped them around his waist. She pulled away and sat down next to Aziza. Her heart rate increased by 4.67% when she saw Kyleth walk in. Had he seen her hugging Kanshero?

Aziza turned and obviously called out to him. He looked taken aback but walked toward them. She turned to the others at the table and began to explain how Kyleth had saved her when they were on that unknown planet. Aziza introduced him to Kanshero. Although his face was blank, Hazina felt a small amount of jealousy coming from him. She looked at him out the corner of her eyes. His gaze was on the bowl of vegetable soup on the table. Her fingers itched to touch his hand. She moved in her seat slightly and allowed her hand to brush his. He looked at her quickly before averting his eyes to the white paint on the walls.

"…news…" The one word was all she heard.

Hazina lifted her head quickly and looked around the table. Of the seven people sitting there, three men were speaking. She looked at Kyleth and, in Vulcan, whispered, _"What are they saying? My hearing has returned slightly. Everything is muffled. I heard the word news."_

He dipped his spoon into his soup and lifted his eyes in surprise at how it tasted. _**The captain is returning us to Earth, but they have two missions to complete before then. They are stopping at the planet Trinitra to deliver medical supplies and have a conference between Captain Kirk, your father and the minister of the Trinitran people. **_

"_That's really close to Tellar Prime, Kyleth." _

He placed his hands on the table before looking at her. He nodded once when her gaze moved to his perfectly shaped lips. _"I will not leave you, Hazina." _

She saw her mother look at them from the end of the table. Hazina pressed her lips together and turned to the others at the table. They were watching the two of them with round eyes. Aziza nudged Hazina in the side and smiled. She lifted her hands. _You are so digging him._ They stared at one another until Aziza laughed, and Hazina smiled.

_**A/N: All mistakes are mine, but I did try to fix everything. That's it for this part. If there was something you think I should address in the next part, tell me. If there is something you would like to see happen, throw the suggestion at me. Thank all of you for reading. :)**_


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